Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

neigh

/neɪ̯/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.49 in modern English

Syllables
neigh
IPA
/neɪ̯/
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The cry of a horse.

verb

To make its cry.

verb

To make a sound similar to a horse's cry.

verb

To scoff or sneer.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English neyen, from Old English hnǣġan, from Proto-West Germanic *hnaijan, from Proto-Germanic *hnajjaną (“to neigh”). Cognate with dialectal Dutch neien, Middle Low German neigen, Swedish gnägga, Icelandic hneggja.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: neyen, hnǣġan, *hnaijan, *hnajjaną

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /neɪ̯/
  • British English: /neɪ̯/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce neigh?
The recorded pronunciation is /neɪ̯/.
What does neigh mean?
The cry of a horse.
Where does neigh come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce neigh

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