Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

xian

/ʃiæn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.80 in modern English

Syllables
xi-an
IPA
/ʃiæn/
11
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A surname from Chinese.

noun

Abbreviation of Christian.

Derogatory; Offensive

adj

Abbreviation of Christian.

Derogatory; Offensive

noun

Alternative form of Xian: Christian.

Derogatory; Offensive

adj

Alternative form of Xian: Christian.

Derogatory; Offensive

adj

Alternative spelling of sian (“bored, boring”).

Example Sentences

Etymology

c. late 20th c., from the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Chinese 西安 (Xī'ān, “Western Peace”), without syllable-dividing mark (隔音符號/隔音符号 (géyīn fúhào)).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: -, 西安, 咸, Χ, 縣

Usage

Inflected Forms

Xians (plural) Xtian (alternative) hsien (alternative) more xian (comparative) most xian (superlative)

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce xian?
The recorded pronunciation is /ʃiæn/.
What does xian mean?
Alternative spelling of Xi'an.
Where does xian come from?
It is traced to Chinese.

How to pronounce xian

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