Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pecan

/pɪˈkɑːn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.93 in modern English

Syllables: pe-can
IPA: /pɪˈkɑːn/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts.

noun

A smooth, thin-shelled, edible oval nut of this tree.

noun

A half of the edible portion of the inside of this nut.

Example Sentences

"And away on the farther bank, a motte of huge pecans, standing like giant sentinels over the dwarfed landscape, filled the eye with remote vistas in their shady, twilight aisles. It was very still."
"Within its ornamental fence, the 8/10-acre property includes several of the largest live oaks in the area — plus huge pecans and stately magnolias."
"MEG. […] (Meg takes out two pecans and tries to open them by cracking them together.) Come on ... Crack, you demons! Crack! LENNY. We have a nutcracker! MEG. (Trying with her teeth.) Ah, where's the sport in a nutcracker? Where's the challenge?"
"Each shell contains two pecans, usually plump and oblong in shape, although some varieties are round or pointed."

Etymology

Borrowed from French pacane and at first spelt paccan. The French word derives from an Algonquian word, perhaps Miami (Illinois) pakani. Compare Cree pakan (“hard nut”), Ojibwe bagaan, Abenaki pagann, bagôn, pagôn (“nut; walnut, hazelnut”).

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pɪˈkɑːn/
British English: /pɪˈkɑːn/

Inflected Forms

pecans (plural) paccan (alternative, dated) peccan (alternative, dated)

Derived Forms

hican

Phrases

pecan pie pecan sandy pecan tree pecan truffle pecan weevil

Synonyms

pecan tree carya illinoensis carya illinoinsis

Rhymes With

on one-on-one come-on put-on run-on john non upon iran don jon con

Questions

How do you pronounce pecan?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɪˈkɑːn/.
What does pecan mean?: A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts.
Where does pecan come from?: Borrowed from French pacane and at first spelt paccan. The French word derives from an Algonquian word, perhaps Miami (Illinois) pakani. Compare Cree pakan (“hard nut”), Ojibwe bagaan, Abenaki pagann, bagôn, pagôn (“nut; walnut, hazelnut”).

How to pronounce pecan

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pecan”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pɪˈkɑːn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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