Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

in-law

/ˈɪn.lɔ/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.45 in modern English

Syllables: in--law
IPA: /ˈɪn.lɔ/

8

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A relative by marriage (or through affinity).

noun

Sometimes specifically a parent-in-law of one's child, for which the dedicated terms co-mother-in-law, co-father-in-law are rare.

Example Sentences

"The house got a complete going-over before the arrival of the in-laws."
"Louie: 'Neither boiling nor baking can diminish this creature's overpowering musky scent. Only suitable for serving to unpleasant in-laws.'"

Etymology

Back-formation from -in-law.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɪn.lɔ/
British English: /ˈɪn.lɔː/

Inflected Forms

in-laws (plural) inlaw (alternative)

Phrases

co-in-law -in-law in-lawhood in-law suite

Synonyms

affine relative-in-law

Rhymes With

law saw draw aw shaw withdraw straw jaw flaw claw paw mcgraw

Questions

How do you pronounce in-law?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪn.lɔ/.
What does in-law mean?: A relative by marriage (or through affinity).
Where does in-law come from?: Back-formation from -in-law.

How to pronounce in-law

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