Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

999

/naɪn.naɪn.naɪn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.91 in modern English

Syllables: 999
IPA: /naɪn.naɪn.naɪn/

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Scrabble Score

0

Letters

1

Syllables

0

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The telephone number for emergency services in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Burma, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Sudan, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Dominica, Kiribati, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and the Seychelles.

name

The telephone number for law enforcement in Singapore, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Eswatini, Botswana, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago.

name

The telephone number for firefighting assistance in Malawi and Tonga.

name

The telephone number for ambulance services in Poland.

noun

Emergency services; emergency service personnel.

British usage; Colloquial; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"I don't know why they couldn't just keep it as it was! How hard is it to remember 911? You mean 999... I mean 999! That's the American one! Yeah!"
"When you call 999 in the UK, the operator usually answers the phone with "Emergency. Which service?""

Etymology

Established in the United Kingdom as the first emergency service number in the world, initially chosen because of its suitability at a time of rotary-dial telephones.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /naɪn.naɪn.naɪn/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Law.

Inflected Forms

nine nine nine (alternative) triple nine (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

000 105 110 111 112 119 911

Questions

How do you pronounce 999?: The recorded pronunciation is /naɪn.naɪn.naɪn/.
What does 999 mean?: The telephone number for emergency services in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Burma, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Sudan, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Dominica, Kiribati, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and the Seychelles.
Where does 999 come from?: Established in the United Kingdom as the first emergency service number in the world, initially chosen because of its suitability at a time of rotary-dial telephones.

How to pronounce 999

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “999”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/naɪn.naɪn.naɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “999”.
Repeat and practice — Say “999” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.