Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

yet

/jɛt/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.54 in modern English

Syllables: yet
IPA: /jɛt/

6

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

Thus far; up to the present; up to some unspecified time.

adv

Thus far; up to the present; up to some unspecified time.

adv

Thus far; up to the present; up to some unspecified time.

Archaic

adv

At some future time; eventually.

adv

Not as of the time referenced.

adv

adv

conj

Nevertheless; however; but; despite that.

Example Sentences

"I haven't finished yet."
"Have you finished yet?"
"We do not yet know what happened."
"He has never yet been late for an appointment."
"I don't know if I can tell you yet."
"Don't switch it on yet – wait until I've reconnected the pump."

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English yet, yit, from Old English ġīet, gȳta, from Proto-West Germanic *jūta, from Proto-Germanic *juta (compare West Frisian jit, jitte (“yet”), Dutch ooit (“ever”), German jetzt (“now”)), compound of (1) *ju (“already”, adverb), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew-, accusative of *h₂óyu (“long time”) and (2) the Proto-Germanic *ta (“to, towards”), from Proto-Indo-European *do. More at aye and -th.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *h₂ey-, yet, ġīet, *jūta, *juta, *h₂yew-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /jɛt/
British English: /jɛt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

yit (alternative, Ireland) yitt (alternative, obsolete) ytt (alternative, obsolete) yeat (alternative) yets (present, singular) yetting (participle, present) yetted (past) yetted (participle, past) yoten (participle, past) yit (alternative) yete (alternative, obsolete) yets (plural)

Phrases

are we there yet as of yet as yet as yet unknown as-yet-unknown just yet not yet power of yet

Synonyms

even now still erenow so far to date formerly at last in time sooner or later subsequently besides further

Rhymes With

get let set met forget bet net debt et upset threat wet

Questions

How do you pronounce yet?: The recorded pronunciation is /jɛt/.
What does yet mean?: Thus far; up to the present; up to some unspecified time.
Where does yet come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce yet

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