Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings
Vowels
| iː | see | ɪ | sit | e / ɛ | bed | æ | cat |
| ɑː | father | ɒ | hot (UK) | ɔː | law | ʊ | put |
| uː | too | ʌ | cup | ɜː | bird | ə | about |
| eɪ | day | aɪ | my | ɔɪ | boy | aʊ | now |
| əʊ / oʊ | go (UK / US) | ɪə | near | eə | hair | ʊə | tour |
Consonants that look unusual
| θ | thin | ð | this | ʃ | she | ʒ | measure |
| tʃ | church | dʒ | judge | ŋ | sing | j | yes |
p b t d k g f v s z h m n l r w sound as in ordinary English spelling.
Marks
- ˈ main stress, before the stressed syllable: /ˈwɔːtə/ water · ˌ lighter (secondary) stress: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ understand
- ː a long vowel · (r) an r said only in accents that pronounce it (most American, Scottish, Irish)
Common word endings
- -s / -es (plurals; he/she form of verbs): /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced (dogs), /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds (buses, watches). Spelling: -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; consonant + y → -ies (city → cities).
- -ed (past): /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced (played), /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted). Spelling: love → loved, stop → stopped, carry → carried.
- -ing: make → making, run → running, see → seeing.
- Irregular: go, went, gone · be, was, been · see, saw, seen · man → men · child → children · mouse → mice.
- Older (King James) forms: -eth = -s (he loveth = he loves) · -est with “thou” (thou lovest) · spake = spoke.
English Dictionary · 107,383 entries · Sources & licences
I 3,616 entries
Page 1 of 19: I – identity
- I pronoun, noun, numeralThe speaker or writer, referred to as the grammatical subject, of a sentence.
- I-beam noun(engineering) A beam with cross-section shaped like a capital letter I (with serifs top and bottom), used in construction.
- I.D. nounAbbreviation of identification or identity documentation.
- i.e. adverb(initialism) That is, namely, in other words, that is to say.
- i.e.d. nounan explosive device that is improvised
- i.q. prepositionthe same as
- i.w.w. nouna former international labor union and radical labor movement in the United States; founded in Chicago in 1905 and dedicated to the overthr…
- iä interjection, proper noun(Lovecraftian) An interjection for summoning an outer deity, glossed over as a cry for food.
- iaa nouna plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots
- IAEA proper noun(UN) Initialism of International Atomic Energy Agency.
- Iago proper nounA male given name.
- iamb noun(prosody) A metrical foot in verse consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
- iambic adjective, noun(prosody) Consisting of iambs (metrical feet with an unstressed–stressed pattern) or characterized by their predominance. [from 16th c.]
- iambus noun(prosody) Synonym of iamb.
- ianfu nouna woman forced into prostitution for Japanese servicemen during World War II
- Iapetus proper noun(Greek mythology) A Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.
- iatrogenic adjective(medicine, of a disease, injury, or other adverse outcome) Induced by the words or actions of the physician or by medical treatment or diag…
- ib. adverb(bibliography) Abbreviation of ibidem.
- Ibadan proper nounA city, the state capital of Oyo State, Nigeria.
- ibda-c nouna Turkish terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for bombing a British consulate and bank in Istanbul; a violent opponent of Tu…
- Iberia proper nounA peninsula and region of Europe south of the Pyrenees, consisting of Andorra, Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar.
- Iberian adjective, noun, proper nounNative to Iberia.
- Iberian Peninsula proper nounA peninsula located in the extreme southwest of Europe which includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar, bordered on the so…
- iberis noun(botany) Any plant of the genus Iberis; a candytuft.
- ibero-mesornis nounsparrow-sized fossil bird of the Cretaceous period having a vestigial tail; found in Spain; considered possibly the third most primitive of…
- ibert nounFrench composer (1890-1962)
- ibex nounA type of wild mountain goat of the genus Capra, such as the species Capra ibex.
- ibid. adverb(bibliography) Abbreviation of ibidem.
- ibidem adverb(bibliography) In the same place; indicates a reference to the same source as the previous one.
- ibis nounAny of various long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, having long downcurved bills used to probe the mud for prey such a…
- Ibizan Hound nounA kind of sighthound bred in Spain.
- ibn-roshd nounArabian philosopher born in Spain; wrote detailed commentaries on Aristotle that were admired by the Schoolmen (1126-1198)
- ibn-sina nounArabian physician and influential Islamic philosopher; his interpretation of Aristotle influenced St. Thomas Aquinas; writings on medicine …
- ibolium privet nounLigustrum × ibolium, a hybrid species of flowering plant, a cross between Ligustrum obtusifolium and Ligustrum ovalifolium.
- Ibrahim proper noun(Islam) The prophet Abraham in Islam.
- IBRD proper noun(UN) Initialism of International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
- Ibsen proper nounA surname.
- Ibsenian adjectiveOf or pertaining to Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906), 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet.
- ibuprofen noun, verb(organic chemistry, pharmacology) A synthetic compound used widely as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug.
- IC adjective, phrasePseudo-acronym of icy.
- icaco nounsmall tropical American tree bearing edible plumlike fruit
- ICAO proper nounAcronym of International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
- Icarus proper noun(Greek mythology) A Greek mythological figure, son of Daedalus, who escaped from the Cretan labyrinth of Knossos by flying with wings made …
- ICBM noun(weaponry) Initialism of intercontinental ballistic missile.
- ICC proper noun(international law) Initialism of International Criminal Court.
- ice noun, verb, proper nounWater in frozen (solid) form.
- ice age noun(sciences) A period of long-term reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence of major polar i…
- ice ax nounAlternative spelling of ice axe.
- ice axe nounAn axe used by mountaineers to cut footholds in the ice.
- ice bag nounA waterproof bag with a wide-mouthed stopper designed to hold ice, for service as an ice pack.
- ice bear noun(now rare) A polar bear (Ursus maritimus).
- ice cap nounA permanent expanse of ice encompassing a large geographical area, as for example in Earth's polar zones (polar ice) or at high elevation. …
- ice chest nounA box used to keep provisions cool
- ice coffee nounAlternative form of iced coffee.
- ice cream noun(uncountable) A dessert made from frozen sweetened cream or a similar substance, usually flavoured.
- ice crystal nounA small, solid form of water in symmetrical shapes including hexagonal columns, hexagonal plates, and dendritic crystals.
- ice cube nounAny small piece of ice used for cooling drinks, larger than crushed ice, and regardless of their shape.
- ice field nounA network of interconnected glaciers or ice streams having a common source.
- ice floe nounAny type of sea ice not attached to land, drift ice.
- ice fog nounA dense fog that consists of fine particles of ice.
- ice hockey nounA form of hockey played on an ice rink with a puck, rather than a ball.
- ice lolly noun(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Synonym of popsicle, frozen fruit juice on a stick.
- ice machine nounAn icemaker.
- ice milk nounA dessert that resembles ice cream but is made of milk rather than cream.
- ice needle nouna small crystal of ice floating in the high atmosphere; a constituent of snow mist
- ice over verb(intransitive) To become covered in ice, usually of a body of water.
- ice pack nounA large floating mass of ice; pack ice.
- ice pick nounAlternative spelling of icepick.
- ice plant nounA succulent annual, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, of the fig marigold family, having pale pink flowers and fleshy leaves covered with glis…
- ice rink nounA specially frozen surface of water on which people skate or play ice hockey; the building that houses such a surface.
- ice shelf nounA thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves…
- ice show nounan entertainment performed by ice skaters
- ice skate nounA light boot, fitted with a blade, used for ice skating.
- ice skating nounThe act, or the sport, of skating on ice.
- ice storm nounA storm in which rain freezes on contact with the ground to form a sheet of ice.
- ice tea nounAlternative form of iced tea.
- ice up verb(intransitive, of a mechanical device, etc.) To become covered or clogged with ice.
- ice wagon noun(historical) A wagon used for carrying ice.
- ice water nounCold water for drinking, either chilled in ice, or with the addition of ice cubes.
- ice yacht nounA craft, in the broad shape of a yacht, fitted with skis or runners so as to sail on the ice.
- ice-clogged adjectiveobstructed by ice
- ice-cold adjective, noun(idiomatic, loosely) Very cold.
- ice-cream bean nounInga edulis, a sweet South American fruit used in making caxiri.
- ice-cream cone nounAlternative form of ice cream cone.
- ice-cream soda nounAlternative form of ice cream soda.
- ice-free adjectiveFree of all ice; not covered in ice.
- ice-skater nounsomeone who engages in ice skating
- ice-skating rink noun(rare) An ice rink.
- ice-wagon noun(formerly) a horse-drawn wagon that delivered ice door to door
- iceberg noun(obsolete) The seaward end of a glacier. [18th–19th c.]
- iceberg lettuce nounA lettuce cultivar (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) noted for its crunchiness; the most familiar of all lettuces sold in the United States.
- iceboat noun, verbAn ice yacht.
- icebound adjectiveCompletely surrounded by ice and therefore unable to move.
- icebox noun, adjectiveA box or compartment containing ice, typically used to keep provisions cool.
- icebox cake noun(US) A dessert consisting of whipped cream and stacked chocolate wafers, refrigerated to form a sliceable log.
- icebreaker noun(nautical) A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.
- icecap nounAlternative form of ice cap.
- icecream nounAlternative spelling of ice cream.
- iced coffee nounVarious types of cold beverages made from coffee. (This entry is a translation hub.)
- iced tea noun(uncountable) Cold tea, a beverage.
- icefall nounA relatively rapid and turbulent flow of ice, somewhat analogous to a waterfall.
- icehouse noun, proper noun(chiefly historical) A warehouse for the storage of ice for commercial purposes.
- iceland noun, proper nounA land or region of icy terrain.
- Iceland moss nounA lichen, Cetraria islandica, that resembles a moss.
- Iceland poppy nounPapaver nudicaule, a boreal flowering plant.
- Iceland spar nounA transparent form of calcite, used to demonstrate the polarization of light.
- Icelander nounA person from Iceland or of Icelandic descent.
- Icelandic proper noun, noun, adjectiveA North Germanic language, the national tongue of Iceland.
- icelandic-speaking adjectiveable to communicate in Icelandic
- iceman noun(historical) A person who trades in ice; a person employed to deliver block ice to those lacking electric refrigeration.
- icepick noun, verbA pointed tool, shaped like an awl, used for breaking ice.
- icetray nounAlternative spelling of ice tray.
- ichneumon nounAn Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), found in Africa and southern Europe.
- ichneumon fly noun(inaccurately named) ichneumon wasp
- ichneumonidae nounichneumon flies
- ichor noun(Greek mythology) The liquid said to flow in place of blood in the veins of the gods.
- ichorous adjectiveResembling or relating to ichor.
- ichthyolatry nounThe worship of fish, or of fish-shaped idols.
- ichthyologist nounAn expert in ichthyology: one who studies fishes. [from 18th c.]
- ichthyology nounA branch of zoology that studies fish.
- ichthyosaur nounAny fishlike marine reptiles of the extinct order †Ichthyosauria of the early Triassic to the late Cretaceous period, that had a body somew…
- ichthyosauria nounextinct marine reptiles: ichthyosaurs
- ichthyosauridae nounlater ichthyosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous; widely distributed in both hemispheres
- ichthyosaurus nounAny members of the genus Ichthyosaurus.
- ichthyosis noun(pathology) Any of a group of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, thickened, scaly skin.
- ichyostega nounearly tetrapod amphibian found in Greenland
- icicle nounA drooping, tapering shape of ice.
- icicle plant nounA plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae, with long, powdery-white leaves (Helichrysum thianschanicum).
- icily adverbIn the manner of ice; with a cold or chilling effect.
- iciness nounThe state or quality of being icy or very cold; frigidity.
- icing noun(cooking) A sweet, often creamy and thick glaze made primarily of sugar, often enriched with ingredients like butter, egg whites, or flavor…
- icing sugar noun(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Powdered sugar.
- icky adjective(informal) Unpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting.
- icon nounAn image, symbol, picture, portrait, or other representation, usually as an object of religious devotion.
- iconic adjectiveRelating to, or having the characteristics of, an icon. [from 17th c.]
- Iconium proper noun(historical) Former name of Konya: a city in Turkey.
- iconoclasm nounThe belief in, participation in, or sanction of destroying religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or politi…
- iconoclast noun(historical, Christianity) One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th cen…
- iconoclastic adjective, nounCharacterized by attack on established and accepted beliefs, customs, or institutions; of or pertaining to iconoclasm.
- iconography nounA set of specified or traditional symbolic forms associated with the subject or theme of a stylized genre of art.
- iconolatry nounThe use of images as symbols that provide an inspiration and aid to worship.
- iconology nounThe study of icons in art or art history.
- iconoscope nounan early television camera having a mosaic of photoactive cells
- icosahedral adjectiveOf, relating to, or having the shape of an icosahedron.
- icosahedron noun(geometry) A polyhedron with twenty faces.
- icsh nouna gonadotropic hormone that is secreted by the anterior pituitary; stimulates ovulation in female mammals and stimulates androgen release i…
- ictal adjective(medicine) Of or pertaining to a sudden physiologic attack such as a seizure, stroke or headache.
- ictalurus nounchannel catfishes
- icteria nounNew World chats
- icteric adjective, noun(medicine) Jaundiced (having icterus); having yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes of the sclerae of the eyes, or other parts of the bod…
- icteridae nounAmerican orioles; American blackbirds; bobolinks; meadowlarks
- icterogenic adjectiveThat causes jaundice
- icterus noun(medicine) An excess of bile pigments in the blood; jaundice.
- icterus neonatorum nounneonatal jaundice
- ictic adjectivePertaining to, or caused by, a blow; sudden; abrupt.
- ictiobus nounbuffalo fishes
- ictodosaur nounintermediate in form between the therapsids and most primitive true mammals
- ictodosauria nounextinct reptiles of the later Triassic period
- ictonyx nouna genus of Mustelidae
- ictus nounThe pulse.
- ICU noun, proper noun, phrase(medicine) Initialism of intensive care unit.
- icy adjective, proper nounPertaining to, resembling, or abounding in ice; cold; frosty.
- id noun, verb(psychoanalysis) The unconscious impulsive component of the personality in the Freudian psychoanalytic model.
- id est phraseSynonym of i.e. or that is.
- Ida proper noun, nounA female given name from the Germanic languages.
- Idaho proper noun, nounA state in the western United States. Capital and largest city: Boise.
- Idaho Falls proper nounA city, the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States.
- Idahoan adjective, nounOf or relating to the state of Idaho.
- IDDM noun(medicine) Initialism of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
- idea noun(philosophy) An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essenc…
- ideal adjective, noun, proper nounPertaining to ideas, or to a given idea.
- ideal gas noun(physics) a hypothetical gas, whose molecules exhibit no interaction, and undergo elastic collision with each other and with the walls of t…
- idealisation nounAlternative spelling of idealization.
- idealise verbNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of idealize.
- idealised adjective, verbNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of idealized.
- idealism nounThe property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life.
- idealist noun(philosophy) One who adheres to idealism.
- idealistic adjectiveOf or pertaining to an idealist or to idealism.
- ideality noun(uncountable) The quality or state of being ideal.
- idealization nounThe act or process of idealizing.
- idealize verb(transitive) To regard something as ideal.
- idealized adjectiveRegarded as ideal.
- ideally adverbIn an ideal way; perfectly.
- idealogue nounOne given to fanciful ideas or theories; someone who theorizes or speculates.
- ideate verb, adjective, nounTo apprehend in thought so as to fix and hold in the mind; to memorize.
- ideation nounThe conceptualization of a mental image.
- ideational adjectivePertaining to the formation of ideas or thoughts of objects not immediately present to the senses.
- idempotent adjective, noun(mathematics, computing) (said of a function) Such that, when performed multiple times on the same subject, it has no further effect on its…
- identical adjective, noun(not comparable) Bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.
- identical twin nounOne of exactly two siblings produced from the splitting of a single zygote.
- identically adverbIn an identical manner.
- identicalness nounThe state or quality of being identical.
- identifiable adjectiveCapable of being distinguished and named.
- identifiably adverbIn a manner or state that is capable of being distinguished or named.
- identification noun(strictly) The act of identifying (i.e., which one, which thing).
- identified verbsimple past and past participle of identify
- identifier nounSomeone who identifies; a person who establishes the identity of someone or something.
- identify verb(transitive) To establish the identity of someone or something.
- identikit noun, adjective(law enforcement, criminology) A picture of a person, reconstructed from strips showing facial features selected to match witnesses' descri…
- identity noun(now chiefly in technical usage) Sameness, identicalness; the quality or fact of (several specified things) being the same.