Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nearest

/ˈnɪɹɪst/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.11 in modern English

Syllables: near-est
IPA: /ˈnɪɹɪst/

7

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

superlative form of near: most near

prep

Example Sentences

"Where is the nearest bus stop?"
"I calculated the cost to the nearest 50 dollars."
"Mercury is the planet nearest the Sun."
"Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the peg and thence further unrolled it, in the direction already established by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet[…]"

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈnɪɹɪst/
British English: /ˈnɪəɹɪst/

Phrases

crocodile nearest the canoe nearest and dearest

Synonyms

closest nighest

Rhymes With

dearest severest

Questions

How do you pronounce nearest?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɪɹɪst/.
What does nearest mean?: superlative form of near: most near

How to pronounce nearest

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