Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lingo

/ˈlɪŋ.ɡoʊ̯/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.01 in modern English

Syllables: lin-go
IPA: /ˈlɪŋ.ɡoʊ̯/

6

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Language, especially language peculiar to a particular group, field, or region; jargon or a dialect.

Countable; Informal; Uncountable

noun

An Aboriginal language.

Countable; Uncountable

name

Example Sentences

"[...] I have Thoughts to tarry a ſmall Matter in Town, to learn ſomewhat of your Lingo firſt, before I croſs the Seas."
""You see, ma'am, I can't divest myself of my professional lingo," observed Mr. Banks."
"Nobody could make out plain what she said, for she was mainly jabbering Swede lingo, but there was English enough, of a kind, to give us some idee."
"The huntsman spoke Davey’s lingo."
"Granny Ava was the link: the last heathen of the family to speak the lingo fluently, before the Church waltzed in and jammed the Lord's Prayer in Granny Ruth's twelve-year-old mouth instead."

Etymology

From Latin lingua (“language”) + -o (diminutive suffix).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Prefix: -o
Root: lingua

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈlɪŋ.ɡoʊ̯/
British English: /ˈlɪŋ.ɡəʊ̯/

Usage

Inflected Forms

lingos (plural) lingoes (plural)

Derived Forms

cyberlingo diplolingo DoggoLingo Duolingo

Phrases

diner lingo kanto lingo

Synonyms

slang cant jargon argot patois vernacular

Rhymes With

bingo flamingo dingo gringo ingo santo domingo jingo pingo stingo

Questions

How do you pronounce lingo?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlɪŋ.ɡoʊ̯/.
What does lingo mean?: Language, especially language peculiar to a particular group, field, or region; jargon or a dialect.
Where does lingo come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce lingo

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