Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fairness

/ˈfɛɚ.nəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.77 in modern English

Syllables: fair-ness
IPA: /ˈfɛɚ.nəs/

11

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The property of being fair or equitable.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The property of being fair or beautiful.

Archaic; Countable; Literary; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Some questioned the fairness of the new laws."
"The reason why fairness in taxation matters is institutionalized unfairness rots society from the inside, and the social order and economy eventually collapse."

Etymology

From Middle English fairness, fæȝernesse, from Old English fæġernes (“fairness; beauty; pleasantness”), equivalent to fair + -ness. Cognate with Old High German fagarnessi (“fairness”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: fairness, fæġernes
Suffix: fair

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈfɛɚ.nəs/
British English: /ˈfɛə.nəs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

fairnesses (plural)

Derived Forms

unfairness

Phrases

fairness doctrine in all fairness in fairness max-min fairness

Synonyms

equity fairhood beauty comeliness loveliness beauteousness paleness blondness

Rhymes With

awareness unfairness unawareness squareness bareness

Questions

How do you pronounce fairness?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɛɚ.nəs/.
What does fairness mean?: The property of being fair or equitable.
Where does fairness come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce fairness

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