Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

byway

/ˈbaɪweɪ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.23 in modern English

Syllables: by-way
IPA: /ˈbaɪweɪ/

16

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A road or track not following a main route; a secondary or minor road or path.

noun

A road that is not frequently travelled.

noun

a little-known or arcane field of study or detail.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: back road, back street, back lane"
"Although some of its individuality has been lost, this railway byway in North Essex still retains its charm, and is well worthy of exploration by railway enthusiasts."
"Though his account of written communication over the past 5,000 years necessarily has a powerful forward momentum, his diversions down the fascinating byways of the subject are irresistible ..."

Etymology

From Middle English bywey, equivalent to by- + way.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: bywey

Inflected Forms

byways (plural) by-way (alternative) byeway (alternative)

Phrases

byway open to all traffic restricted byway

Frequently Paired Words

backwater

Synonyms

back road back street back lane bypath byroad

Rhymes With

highway skyway superhighway flyway hiway electronic superhighway

Questions

How do you pronounce byway?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbaɪweɪ/.
What does byway mean?: A road or track not following a main route; a secondary or minor road or path.
Where does byway come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce byway

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