Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nan

/næn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.49 in modern English

Syllables
nan
IPA
/næn/
3
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
2
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of maid: a servant girl.

Obsolete

noun

Synonym of nancy: an effeminate male homosexual.

Obsolete; Slang

noun

Synonym of nursemaid.

British usage

noun

Synonym of grandmother.

Australian usage; Canadian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage

noun

Alternative spelling of naan.

noun

radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter N.

name

A diminutive of the female given name Ann and Nancy.

name

A province of Thailand.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Nan, pet form of the formerly very common female given names Anne and Agnes. As a nursemaid and grandmother, a clipping of earlier nana, from nanny under the probable influence of mama, also from Nan. Compare Mary.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /næn/
  • British English: /næn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

nans (plural)

Derived Forms

nannie Nanson

Phrases

nan flap

Synonyms

maid nancy nursemaid grandmother November naan grandma granny grannie gran nanna

Homonyms

NaN

Rhymes With

an can than man one-man plan began san fan japan ran van

Questions

How do you pronounce nan?
The recorded pronunciation is /næn/.
What does nan mean?
Synonym of maid: a servant girl.
Where does nan come from?
From Nan, pet form of the formerly very common female given names Anne and Agnes. As a nursemaid and grandmother, a clipping of earlier nana, from nanny under the probable influence of mama, also from Nan. Compare Mary.

How to pronounce nan

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