Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kind of

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.45 in modern English

Syllables
kind of
IPA
14
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

Colloquial

Example Sentences

Etymology

From a reanalysis of kind of in a phrase such as a kind of merry dance from “a kind + of + merry dance” (a type among merry dances) to “a + kind-of merry + dance” (a somewhat merry dance).

Usage

Inflected Forms

kinda (alternative) kind-of (alternative)

Phrases

kinds of

Frequently Paired Words

kinds of

Synonyms

sort of sorta kinda sorta rather kinda

Questions

What does kind of mean?
Slightly; somewhat; sort of.
Where does kind of come from?
From a reanalysis of kind of in a phrase such as a kind of merry dance from “a kind + of + merry dance” (a type among merry dances) to “a + kind-of merry + dance” (a somewhat merry dance).

How to pronounce kind of

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