Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

non-native

/nɒnˈneɪtɪv/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.59 in modern English

Syllables: non--na-tive
IPA: /nɒnˈneɪtɪv/

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Not native; not indigenous to a particular area; foreign; invasive.

noun

A person who is not native.

Example Sentences

"Use purple three-awn grass to replace the overused, invasive non-native weedy Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima)."
"The economy is at full employment and the state is flush with tax revenue but their social media feeds depict a country overrun with “non-native” predators such as Jozef Puska, a Slovak man convicted earlier this month of murdering a teacher, Ashling Murphy, in 2022."

Etymology

From non- + native.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /nɒnˈneɪtɪv/

Inflected Forms

nonnative (alternative) non-natives (plural)

Phrases

non-native speaker non-native species

Rhymes With

native creative vegetative educative probative nonnative dative uncreative stative optative rotative elative

Questions

How do you pronounce non-native?: The recorded pronunciation is /nɒnˈneɪtɪv/.
What does non-native mean?: Not native; not indigenous to a particular area; foreign; invasive.
Where does non-native come from?: From non- + native.

How to pronounce non-native

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