Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

klingon

/ˈklɪŋɑn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.90 in modern English

Syllables: klin-gon
IPA: /ˈklɪŋɑn/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

noun

A member of an alien warrior race in the Star Trek universe with distinctive forehead ridges and a culture based on the strict observance of honor, loyalty, and combat.

Countable

name

An artificial language created by Marc Okrand for the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Example Sentences

"SPOCK: Captain, we've reached the designated position for scanning the coded directive tape. KIRK: Good. We've both guessed right. Negotiations with the Klingon Empire are on the verge of breaking down. Starfleet Command anticipates a surprise attack. We are to proceed to Organia and take whatever steps are necessary to prevent the Klingons from using it as a base."
"You might be familiar with more a priori conlangs than you think: The Klingon language from the television series "Star Trek," the Na’vi language from the movie "Avatar," and the Dothraki language from the television series "Game of Thrones" are all examples of a priori languages."
"The years roll by as they always do, and more examples of pIqaD usage for Klingon have been coming to light. Does this still not count as usage?"

Etymology

In many cases, from German Klingen, via Russian Клинген (Klingen) (many bearers in 1900s US censuses are recorded as being from Russia). Compare the various spellings of the related surname Klingon Smith (more commonly Klingensmith, Klingenschmitt, Klingenschmidt).

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: Klingen, tlhIngan

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈklɪŋɑn/

Usage

Countable

Inflected Forms

Klingons (plural)

Derived Forms

Klingonese Klingonesque Klingonian Klingonish Klingonist

Frequently Paired Words

Qapla'

Synonyms

Klingonese

Homonyms

cling-on

Rhymes With

clingan

Questions

How do you pronounce klingon?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈklɪŋɑn/.
What does klingon mean?: A surname.
Where does klingon come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce klingon

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