How do you pronounce key?

The recorded pronunciation is /ki/.

Where does key come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

key

/ki/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.12 in modern English

Syllables: key
IPA: /ki/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

Countable

noun

An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

Countable

noun

An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

Countable

noun

An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

Countable

noun

An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

Countable; Slang

noun

An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

Countable

noun

An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.

noun

An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.

Example Sentences

"This key is to the backdoor."
"insert the key into the lock (formal); put the key in the lock (informal)"
"apartment key; room key; spare key"
"We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time. 'Twas locked, of course, but the Deacon man got a big bunch of keys out of his pocket and commenced to putter with the lock."
"My hotel room key is a card."
"The gym will give you a fob that opens the door."

Etymology

From Middle English keye, kaye, keiȝe, from Old English cǣġ (“key, solution, experiment”) (whence also Scots key and kay (“key”)), from Anglo-Frisian Proto-West Germanic *kaiju, of uncertain origin. The only sure cognates are Saterland Frisian Koai (“key”), West Frisian kaai (“key”), and North Frisian kai, koie (“key”). Possibly from Proto-Germanic *kēgaz, *kēguz (“stake, post, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵogʰ-, *ǵegʰ-, *ǵegʰn- (“branch, stake, bush”), which would make it cognate with Middle Low German kāk (“whipping post, pillory”), and perhaps to Middle Dutch keige (“javelin, spear”) and Middle Low German keie, keige (“spear”). For the semantic development, note that medieval keys were simply long poles (ending in a hook) with which a crossbar obstructing a door from the inside could be removed from the outside, by lifting it through a hole in the door. Liberman has noted, however, "The original meaning of *kaig-jo- was presumably '*pin with a twisted end.' Words with the root *kai- followed by a consonant meaning 'crooked, bent; twisted' are common only in the North Germanic languages."

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: keye, cǣġ, *kaiju, *kēgaz, *ǵogʰ-, cayo

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ki/
British English: /kiː/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.

Inflected Forms

keys (plural) keyer (comparative) more key (comparative) keyest (superlative) most key (superlative) keys (present, singular) keying (participle, present) keyed (participle, past) keyed (past) cay (alternative) ki (alternative) keye (alternative)

Derived Forms

autokey bedkey culverkey hashkey hotkey housekey keyable keybed keybind keyboard keybounce keyboy

Phrases

accelerator key a golden key can open any door Allen key alt key answer key arrow key barrel key beanie key

Frequently Paired Words

key card key chain key change key fob key ring key signature public-key cryptography clef

Synonyms

key fob keycard answer key key-fruit kay cardinal central fundamental primal

Homonyms

cay ki quay

Rhymes With

be he we me she see three free de tv sea agree

key

Meaning

Example Sentences

Etymology

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

Usage

Subject

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How to pronounce key