Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

indian file

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.52 in modern English

Syllables: in-di-an -file
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

American usage

Example Sentences

"In about an hour they returned very much intoxicated, singing their dead war songs, and every warrior naked, painted black from head to foot: as they approached the house in Indian file, each one repeated the following words […]"
"He stopped abruptly, as if sorry he had said so much, and a moment later the party were walking in Indian file through the turnstile, Sir John Burney leading the way."

Etymology

Attested since the 18th century, as Native Americans traversed woods in this way.

Usage

American usage

Synonyms

file single file

Questions

What does indian file mean?: Single file.
Where does indian file come from?: Attested since the 18th century, as Native Americans traversed woods in this way.

How to pronounce indian file

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