Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

islay

/ˈaɪlə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.51 in modern English

Syllables
is-lay
IPA
/ˈaɪlə/
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute council area, Scotland.

noun

Prunus ilicifolia, a traditional Native American food plant in southern California.

Etymology

Derived from Scottish Gaelic Ìle, but probably ultimately of non-Indo-European (substrate) origin, along with other uncertain names in Scotland such as Skye, Lewis, and Arran. Watson (1926) hinted that a Proto-Brythonic/Proto-Celtic root connected to Gaulish *ilio (“flank, buttock”) or Welsh ilio (“to ferment”) might be behind the name. The silent s in this word, as in island, is due to an unetymological association with isle.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

islays (plural)

Derived Forms

Isla

Synonyms

hollyleaf cherry evergreen cherry holly-leaved cherry holly-leaf cherry prunus ilicifolia

Questions

How do you pronounce islay?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈaɪlə/.
What does islay mean?
The southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute council area, Scotland.
Where does islay come from?
It is traced to Scottish Gaelic.

How to pronounce islay

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