Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lain

/leɪn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English

Syllables: lain
IPA: /leɪn/

4

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)

verb

past participle of lay (“to put down”)

verb

To conceal, keep quiet about.

Obsolete

name

Example Sentences

"He had lain there for many hours."
"The book had lain on the attic floor until it was found decades later."
"I ascended to my room, and lay down upon the bed. A whole hour I must have lain thus, with my head resting upon my hand."
"Also broder sir Agrauayne and sir mordred in lyke wyse sir Launcelot rescowed yow bothe and thre score and two from sir Turquyn / Me thynketh broder suche kynde dedes and kyndenes shold be remembryd / doo as ye lyst sayd syr Agrauayne for I wylle layne it no lenger"

Etymology

Inflected forms.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: lainen, leyna, līeġnan, *laugnijaną, *laugnō

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

lains (present, singular) laining (participle, present) lained (participle, past) lained (past) lean (alternative) len (alternative) Lains (plural)

Synonyms

laid

Homonyms

lane (pane–pain merger) lane

Rhymes With

main pain campaign train brain explain remain gain plane rain chain maintain

Questions

How do you pronounce lain?: The recorded pronunciation is /leɪn/.
What does lain mean?: past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
Where does lain come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce lain

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