Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

napkin

/ˈnæpˌkɪn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.16 in modern English

Syllables
nap-kin
IPA
/ˈnæpˌkɪn/
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating.

noun

A nappy (UK), a diaper (American).

British usage

noun

A small scarf worn on the head by Christian women (chiefly Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) when entering a church, as a token of modesty.

noun

Ellipsis of sanitary napkin.

Dated

Etymology

From Middle English napekyn, napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin (diminutive suffix).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

napkins (plural)

Derived Forms

fapkin lapkin napkinette napkinless napkinlike napkinned

Phrases

back-of-the-napkin napkin math napkin rash napkin ring sanitary napkin tail-napkin

Synonyms

diaper nappy table napkin serviette

Questions

How do you pronounce napkin?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnæpˌkɪn/.
What does napkin mean?
A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating.
Where does napkin come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce napkin

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