Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kunai

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.80 in modern English

Syllables
ku-nai
IPA
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Japanese tool and weapon, possibly derived from the masonry trowel, used as a weapon by ninja or samurai.

noun

A species of grass, Imperata cylindrica, native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australasia, Africa, and southern Europe, and widely introduced to the New World.

Uncountable

Etymology

From Japanese 苦無 (くない, kunai).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: 苦無, kunai, kunəi

Usage

Frequently Paired Words

shuriken

Questions

What does kunai mean?
A Japanese tool and weapon, possibly derived from the masonry trowel, used as a weapon by ninja or samurai.
Where does kunai come from?
It is traced to Japanese.

How to pronounce kunai

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