Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mother-in-law

/ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.03 in modern English

Syllables: moth-er-in-law
IPA: /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/

19

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The mother of one's spouse.

noun

A mother-in-law apartment.

noun

A mother-in-law sandwich.

noun

Obsolete

noun

A spicy Caribbean sauce made with peppers, carrots, onions, lime juice, etc.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"For I am come to ſet a man at variance* againſt his father, ⁊ the daughter againſt her mother, and the daughter in law againſt her mother in law."
"Odontophobia, or the fear of dental work, seems equally plausible, as does pentheraphobia - fear of the mother-in-law."
"Do but consider, my dear Mr. Dashwood, how excessively comfortable your mother-in-law and her daughters may live on the interest of seven thousand pounds,"

Etymology

From Middle English moder in lawe; equivalent to mother + -in-law.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: moder in lawe

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/
British English: /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Law.

Inflected Forms

mothers-in-law (plural) mother-in-laws (colloquial, nonstandard)

Phrases

monster-in-law stepmother-in-law mother-in-law apartment mother-in-law's cushion mother-in-law door mother-in-law language mother-in-law sandwich mother-in-law style

Frequently Paired Words

brother-in-law daughter-in-law father-in-law sister-in-law son-in-law mother-out-law

Synonyms

ma-in-law mom-in-law mum-in-law saas shviger

Rhymes With

brother-in-law

Questions

How do you pronounce mother-in-law?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/.
What does mother-in-law mean?: The mother of one's spouse.
Where does mother-in-law come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce mother-in-law

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mother-in-law”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈmʌ.ðəɹ.ɪnˌlɔː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “mother-in-law” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.