Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

national

/ˈnæʃ.ə.nəl/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.51 in modern English

Syllables
na-tion-al
IPA
/ˈnæʃ.ə.nəl/
8
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Nationalistic; patriotic.

Archaic

noun

A subject of a nation.

noun

A tournament in which participants from all over the nation compete.

noun

A national newspaper.

noun

A member of the National Party

New Zealand usage

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle French national, corresponding to nation + -al.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈnæʃ.ə.nəl/
  • British English: /ˈnaʃ.ə.nəl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more national (comparative) most national (superlative) nat'l (alternative, abbreviation) nationals (plural)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce national?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnæʃ.ə.nəl/.
What does national mean?
Pertaining to a nation or country, especially as a whole; affecting, shared by, or existing throughout all of a nation; the state.
Where does national come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce national

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