How do you pronounce never?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɛv.ɚ/.

Where does never come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

never

/ˈnɛv.ɚ/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.91 in modern English

Syllables: nev-er
IPA: /ˈnɛv.ɚ/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

At no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.

adv

Not at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.

adv

Negative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense; also used absolutely).

Colloquial

verb

Did not; didn't.

intj

A statement of defiance

Example Sentences

"I finally finished, and I never do wanna do it again."
"We were at the same college, but happened never to meet."
"I'll never not like you."
"Why should I love this Gentleman? Tis odds / He never will affect me;"
"In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned."
""I never thought you were so fond of Mr. Phillips that you'd require two handkerchiefs to dry your tears just because he was going away," said Marilla."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Germanic *ne Old English ne Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- Proto-Indo-European *-u Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu Proto-Indo-European *-osinflu. Proto-Germanic *aiwaz Proto-West Germanic *aiwder. Old English ā Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-West Germanic *in Old English in Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- Proto-Indo-European *-us Proto-Indo-European *pérkus Proto-Germanic *ferhuzder.? Proto-Germanic *ferhwą Proto-West Germanic *ferh Old English feorh ? Old English ǣfre Old English nǣfre Middle English nevere English never From Middle English nevere, navere, nævere, from Old English nǣfre (“never”), equivalent to ne + ever.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: nevere, nǣfre

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈnɛv.ɚ/
British English: /ˈnɛv.ə/

Usage

Colloquial

Inflected Forms

neva (alternative, pronunciation spelling) nevah (alternative, pronunciation spelling) nevuh (alternative, pronunciation spelling) neber (alternative, pronunciation spelling) ne'er (alternative, archaic) nev'r (alternative, archaic) neuer (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

neverending neverfade neverland nevermind nevermore neverness neversmoker neverthelater nevertheless neverthemore neverthriving Neveruary

Phrases

a barking dog never bites a dumb priest never got a parish a magician never reveals his secrets a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor a watched kettle never boils a watched pot never boils a watched pot never boils over a wild goose never laid a tame egg

Frequently Paired Words

a cold day in Hell February 31 Greek calends Neveruary first of never never in a million years never in a month of Sundays frequency

Synonyms

at latter Lammas at no time in the reign of Queen Dick ne'er never never ever not while pussy's a cat on the second Tuesday of the week sine die when Hell freezes over when pigs fly when two Sundays come together

Antonyms

got ever all the time always consistently constantly continually continuously forever

Rhymes With

ever however whatever forever whenever whoever wherever clever whatsoever trevor whichever lever