Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

keep away

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.34 in modern English

Syllables: keep- -away
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To refrain from coming (near).

Intransitive verb

verb

To prevent from coming (near).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"I'm keeping away from Joe until he calms down."
"Keep your children away from the construction site: it's dangerous!"
"The burnt and bleeding man staggered to his feet, dazed and unbelieving, and asked the startled townspeople who came running whether his fireman and guard were safe. He was kept away from the smouldering crater where his engine had been, and taken to hospital."

Usage

Inflected Forms

keeps away (present, singular) keeping away (participle, present) kept away (participle, past) kept away (past)

Questions

What does keep away mean?: To refrain from coming (near).

How to pronounce keep away

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “keep away”.
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 “keep away”.
Repeat and practice — Say “keep away” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.