Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sonny

/ˈsəni/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.64 in modern English

Syllables
son-ny
IPA
/ˈsəni/
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A familiar form of address for a boy.

Dated

noun

Form of address to a boy or man, to express contempt, warning etc.

Colloquial; Dated; Derogatory

name

A nickname for a male child.

name

A male given name from English.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sew-? Proto-Indo-European *sewH- Proto-Indo-European *suHnús Proto-Germanic *sunuz Proto-West Germanic *sunu Old English sunu Middle English sone English son Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English sonny From son + -y.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈsəni/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce sonny?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsəni/.
What does sonny mean?
A familiar form of address for a boy.
Where does sonny come from?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sew-? Proto-Indo-European *sewH- Proto-Indo-European *suHnús Proto-Germanic *sunuz Proto-West Germanic *sunu Old English sunu Middle English sone English son Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English sonny From son + -y.

How to pronounce sonny

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