Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

known

/noʊn/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.39 in modern English

Syllables: known
IPA: /noʊn/

12

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned.

adj

Accepted, familiar, researched.

noun

Any fact or situation which is known or familiar.

noun

A constant or variable the value of which is already determined.

verb

past participle of know

Example Sentences

"He was a known pickpocket."
"Being not knowne, some great persons in the pew I pretended to, and went in, did question my coming in."
"At the time, Einstein's theory was unknown to most other scientists."
"As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time."
"You have to tell the knowns from the unknowns."
"The biological dereplication tool may identify major knowns in a mixture, but it may miss novel minor components."

Etymology

From Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwen (past participle). Morphologically know + -n.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: knowen, cnāwen
Suffix: know

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /noʊn/
British English: /nəʊn/

Inflected Forms

better known (comparative) best known (superlative) knowne (alternative, obsolete) knowns (plural)

Derived Forms

aforeknown beknown knownless knownness preknown underknown

Phrases

better known as known-ciphertext attack last known good officially known as

Homonyms

none

Antonyms

unknown

Rhymes With

own phone well-known alone shown stone zone loan grown unknown tone bone

Questions

How do you pronounce known?: The recorded pronunciation is /noʊn/.
What does known mean?: Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned.
Where does known come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce known

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