Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-ward

/wɚd/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.37 in modern English

Syllables
-ward
IPA
/wɚd/
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backward", "toward", "forward", etc.

suffix

Forming adjectives, as in "a backward look", "the northward road", etc; used even by speakers who usually use -wards for adverbs.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wert-der. Proto-Germanic *wardaz Old English -weard English -ward From Old English -weard, from Proto-Germanic *wardaz, earlier *warþaz (“turned toward, in the direction of, facing”); compare -wards, from -weardes. Cognate with Dutch -waarts, Low German -warts, German -wärts, Old Norse -verðr, Icelandic -verðr, Swedish -vart, Gothic -𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (-wairþs), Latin vertere (“to turn”) or versus (“toward”), and Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “he turns”). Also related to worth (“to become”). Compare verse.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /wɚd/
  • British English: /wəd/

Questions

How do you pronounce -ward?
The recorded pronunciation is /wɚd/.
What does -ward mean?
Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backward", "toward", "forward", etc.
Where does -ward come from?
It is traced to Old English.

How to pronounce -ward

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