Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-wich

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.77 in modern English

Syllables
-wich
IPA
12
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Village; settlement; hamlet; trading centre.

suffix

Brine spring; well.

suffix

Sandwich.

Etymology

From Middle English wic, from Old English wīc (“abode, dwelling-place”), an early borrowing from Latin vīcus (“village”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyḱ- (“village, household”). Latin cognate to Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍃 (weihs), Old High German weihs (“village, settlement”), from Proto-Germanic *wīhsą (“village, settlement”) of the same Proto-Indo-European root. Cognate to Dutch wijk (“neighbourhood”), and may replace it in borrowings. A related form with similar origin is Icelandic vík.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *weyḱ-, wic, wīc, vīcus, wīċ

Inflected Forms

-wick (alternative)

Derived Forms

Alnwich Cranwich Greenwich Harwich Ipswich Middlewich Nantwich Northwich Norwich Prestwich Sandwich Woolwich

Frequently Paired Words

villa village wick -burger

Questions

What does -wich mean?
Village; settlement; hamlet; trading centre.
Where does -wich come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce -wich

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