Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

only child

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.24 in modern English

Syllables: on-ly child
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person who has no siblings; a person raised as the sole child in a household.

Example Sentences

"An only child is often stereotyped as spoiled."
"Tali: It's my father. He's the senior member of the Admiralty Board. He's one of only five people who can overrule the decisions of the Conclave for the good of the Migrant Fleet. Tali: My father is responsible for the lives of seventeen million people -- our entire race is in his hands. And I'm his only child."

Inflected Forms

only children (plural)

Phrases

only daughter only son

Frequently Paired Words

only daughter only son siblingless

Synonyms

oneling onlyborn single child

Questions

What does only child mean?: A person who has no siblings; a person raised as the sole child in a household.

How to pronounce only child

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “only child”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “only child” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.