Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

word

/wɜɹd/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.26 in modern English

Syllables
word
IPA
/wɜɹd/
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Something like such a unit of language:

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Something like such a unit of language:

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Something like such a unit of language:

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English word, from Old English word, from Proto-West Germanic *word, from Proto-Germanic *wurdą (“word”), from Proto-Indo-European *werdʰom (“word”), from *werh₁- (“to say, speak”). Doublet of verb, verve, and vort; further related to vrata. Cognates Cognate with Scots wird (“word”), North Frisian uurd, Uurt, wurd, wårde, wür (“word”), Saterland Frisian Woud, Wud (“word”), West Frisian wurd (“word”), Alemannic German wort, wourd, wuart, wòrt, wört (“word”), Bavarian boart, bort, bört, Wurt (“word”), Cimbrian bóart, bort (“word”), Dutch woord (“word”), German Wort (“word”), German Low German Woord, Woort (“word”), Limburgish waord, Woërt (“word”), Luxembourgish Wuert (“word”), Mòcheno bourt (“word”), Vilamovian wiüt, wuyt (“word”), Yiddish וואָרט (vort, “word”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish ord (“word”), Elfdalian uord (“word”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Scanian orð (“word”), Gutnish ård (“word”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳 (waurd, “word”); also Ancient Greek ῥητός (rhētós, “spoken, stipulated”); also Latin verbum (“word”), Umbrian 𐌖𐌄𐌓𐌚𐌀𐌋𐌄 (uerfale, “temple”), Ancient Greek εἴρω (eírō, “to say, speak, tell”), Latgalian vuords (“name; word”), Latvian vārds (“name; word”), Lithuanian var̃das (“name”), Russian врать (vratʹ, “to lie”), Serbo-Croatian ва̏рати, vȁrati (“to cheat, deceive, trick, swindle; to be mistaken”), Armenian հորջորջել (horǰorǰel, “to call, name”), Ashkun vīri (“word”), Kamkata-viri vëri, viri (“word”), Prasuni veri, verī, vëre, vëri (“word”), Sanskrit व्रत (vrata, “command; law; will”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *werh₁-, word, *word, *wurdą, *werdʰom, worthen

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /wɜɹd/
  • British English: /wɜːd/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce word?
The recorded pronunciation is /wɜɹd/.
What does word mean?
The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)
Where does word come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce word

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