Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lei

/leɪ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.17 in modern English

Syllables: lei
IPA: /leɪ/

3

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A garland of flowers in Hawaii.

noun

name

A surname from Chinese.

noun

Acronym of Legal Entity Identifier, a unique global identifier for legal entities participating in financial transactions.

Example Sentences

"Both brides and grooms in native Hawaiian tradition wear flower garlands as a physical manifestation of their love for one another, and to some, the twining of the stems is reflective of two families now becoming one. A more tourist-friendly version established in the past couple of decades involves winding the leis around the couple’s hands to bind them together."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian lei.

Origin

Source language: Chinese

Word Breakdown

Root: 雷

Inflected Forms

leis (plural)

Derived Forms

leied

Phrases

haku lei Lei Day

Synonyms

wreath garland coronal chaplet

Homonyms

lay ley le leh lae

Rhymes With

they way may day say one-way away play today pay stay re

Questions

How do you pronounce lei?: The recorded pronunciation is /leɪ/.
What does lei mean?: A garland of flowers in Hawaii.
Where does lei come from?: It is traced to Chinese.

How to pronounce lei

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