Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

johnny

/ˈd͡ʒɑn.i/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.35 in modern English

Syllables: John-ny
IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɑn.i/

19

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A diminutive of the male given name John.

noun

A jack (playing card).

Slang

noun

Ellipsis of Johnny Reb (“Confederate soldier in the American Civil War”).

Informal

noun

Slang

noun

A fellow, a man.

Slang

noun

British usage; Slang

noun

An inexperienced new worker, usually an immigrant.

New Zealand usage; Derogatory

noun

A hospital gown: a gown with a back opening closed with snaps or ties, worn by hospital patients.

Example Sentences

"We met in the desert, and we headed 'em off, and the other Johnnies herded 'em behind."
""Like the Persian Johnny," said Jimmy, "who went about wailing for fresh worlds to conquer.""
"Willie Cox said they found him in the barn, shot bang through the head, and the young English johnny who'd been on the station learning farming - disappeared."
"His hand shook. A little water spilled down the front of the hospital johnny Sean wore."
"The women's toilet (as distinguished from the ladies' room in a speakeasy, the johnny at school, the little girls' room at a party in an apartment, and the wash-my-hands on a train) was clean enough."
"Kitty Hofman came in the johnny."

Etymology

From John + -y. In the sense of an Englishman, compare John Bull.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: John

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈd͡ʒɑn.i/
British English: /ˈd͡ʒɒn.i/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Johny (alternative) Johnnys (plural) Johnnies (plural)

Derived Forms

johnnycake

Phrases

backstage Johnny jingling Johnny Johnny Appleseed Johnny Canuck Johnny-come-lately Johnny Crapaud Johnny Grindle Johnny Hop

Frequently Paired Words

Jenny Jeanie Janie John Thomas

Synonyms

john condom toilet bathroom and Thesaurus:chamber pot rebel reb johnny reb greyback

Rhymes With

ronnie bonnie dani giovanni donnie donny mani giuliani johnnie armani rani ronny

Questions

How do you pronounce johnny?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɑn.i/.
What does johnny mean?: A diminutive of the male given name John.
Where does johnny come from?: From John + -y. In the sense of an Englishman, compare John Bull.

How to pronounce johnny

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