Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gnat

/næt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.46 in modern English

Syllables: gnat
IPA: /næt/

5

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A biting insect, especially a mosquito.

noun

An annoying person.

Informal

noun

A type of jet fighter aircraft.

Example Sentences

"[A]nd his servant was beside him with a fan to keep away the flies and gnats."
""Away thou whining gnat, and trouble me not!""

Etymology

From Middle English gnat, from Old English gnætt (“gnat; midge; mosquito”), from Proto-West Germanic *gnatt, *gnattu, from Proto-Germanic *gnattaz, *gnattuz (“gnat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰneHdʰn-, *gʰneHd- (“to gnaw; scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰen- (“to gnaw; bite; scratch; grind”). Cognate with Low German Gnatte (“gnat”), dialectal Swedish gnatt (“mosquito”), German Gnatz (“scabs; rash; scabies; stinginess”). Related also gnit and gnaw.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: gnat, gnætt, *gnatt, *gnattaz, *gʰneHdʰn-, *gʰen-

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

gnats (plural)

Derived Forms

gnatcatcher gnateater gnatless gnatlike gnatling gnatproof gnat's gnatty gnatworm gnatwren

Phrases

box the gnat Clear Lake gnat fungus gnat gall gnat gnat bug gnat's arse gnat's ass gnat's chuff

Frequently Paired Words

gnit midge

Homonyms

nat

Rhymes With

that at fat cat flat sat chat matt hat bat at-bat pat

Questions

How do you pronounce gnat?: The recorded pronunciation is /næt/.
What does gnat mean?: A biting insect, especially a mosquito.
Where does gnat come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce gnat

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