Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

no man's land

/ˈnoʊˌmænzˌlænd/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.28 in modern English

Syllables
no -man's -land
IPA
/ˈnoʊˌmænzˌlænd/
13
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The ground between trenches where a soldier from either side would be easily targeted.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A space amidships used to keep blocks, ropes, etc.; a space on a ship belonging to no one in particular for which to care.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The part of a prison, hospital complex, etc. where individuals are not normally allowed to enter.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A place where no one can or should be present.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The area between the backcourt and the space close to the net, from which it is difficult to return the ball.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An area of the field where a fielder cannot save a single, nor stop a boundary.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Territory that is often disputed, and that cannot be inhabited because of fear of conflict, especially:

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Territory that is often disputed, and that cannot be inhabited because of fear of conflict, especially:

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Originally from Middle English Nomanneslond (“an area of land outside of London utilised for executions; a swath of unowned or undesirable land; land that is subject to legal dispute”), which is first attested c. 1350 and equivalent to no man (“no one, nobody”) + -'s + land. Revived with new senses in a short story in Blackwood's Magazine in 1908 by the British Army officer Ernest Swinton (1868–1951), writing as "Ole Luk-Oie" (see the quotation), but only came into common use in the context of the Anglo-German Christmas truce of 1914, and thereafter appeared frequently in official communiqués, newspaper reports, and personnel correspondences of the members of the British Expeditionary Force.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈnoʊˌmænzˌlænd/
  • British English: /ˈnəʊˌmænzˌlænd/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce no man's land?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnoʊˌmænzˌlænd/.
What does no man's land mean?
The ground between trenches where a soldier from either side would be easily targeted.
Where does no man's land come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce no man's land

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “no man's land”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈnoʊˌmænzˌlænd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “no man's land” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.