Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

yea

/ˈjɛ(ə)/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.26 in modern English

Syllables
yea
IPA
/ˈjɛ(ə)/
6
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

Yes, indeed.

Dated

conj

Or even, or more like, nay. Introduces a stronger and more appropriate expression than the preceding one.

Archaic; Dated

intj

Yeah, right, yes.

American usage; Dated

noun

An affirmative vote, usually but not always spoken

Dated

intj

Alternative spelling of yeah.

Dated

intj

Misspelling of yay.

Dated

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English ye, ȝea, ya, ȝa, from Old English ġēa, iā (“yea, yes”), from Proto-West Germanic *jā. The modern pronunciation shows an irregular development of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language, probably from association with the antonym nay.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: ye, ġēa, *jā

Usage

Inflected Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Homonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce yea?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈjɛ(ə)/.
What does yea mean?
Yes, indeed.
Where does yea come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce yea

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