Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

eggnog

/ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.41 in modern English

Syllables
eggnog
IPA
/ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy, or whisky; popular at Christmas.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

American English c. 1775 (although drinks like it are attested far earlier, e.g. posset, of which a monastic Christmas recipe used eggs), from egg + nog. The second element is uncertain and long-debated; prominent claims include Norfolk dialect nog (“strong ale”), or a clipping of noggin (“small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol”) (q.v.). Another hypothesis is that it is a variant of grog (“rum-and-water cocktail”).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/
  • British English: /ˌɛɡˈnɒɡ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

eggnogs (plural) egg nog (alternative)

Synonyms

nog egg flip egg-hot

Questions

How do you pronounce eggnog?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/.
What does eggnog mean?
A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy, or whisky; popular at Christmas.
Where does eggnog come from?
American English c. 1775 (although drinks like it are attested far earlier, e.g. posset, of which a monastic Christmas recipe used eggs), from egg + nog. The second element is uncertain and long-debated; prominent claims include Norfolk dialect nog (“strong ale”), or a clipping of noggin (“small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol”) (q.v.). Another hypothesis is that it is a variant of grog (“rum-and-water cocktail”).

How to pronounce eggnog

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “eggnog”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “eggnog”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “eggnog” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.