Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kiai

/kiːˈaɪ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.72 in modern English

Syllables: ki-ai
IPA: /kiːˈaɪ/

8

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The short yell or shout uttered when performing an attacking move in martial arts.

Example Sentences

"The kiai is a battle cry to raise your battle spirit. It keeps your body in top shape, in top concentration. Different people have different kiai."

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 気合 (kiai).

Inflected Forms

kiais (plural)

Phrases

hi-yah

Frequently Paired Words

hi-yah

Questions

How do you pronounce kiai?: The recorded pronunciation is /kiːˈaɪ/.
What does kiai mean?: The short yell or shout uttered when performing an attacking move in martial arts.
Where does kiai come from?: Borrowed from Japanese 気合 (kiai).

How to pronounce kiai

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