eggnog
/ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/noun
eggnog is spelled E-G-G-N-O-G: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,714th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, eggnog means “A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy, or whisky; popular at Christmas” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of eggnog is eggnogs.
How many letters and syllables are in eggnog?
| Letters | 6: E-G-G-N-O-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 58,714th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is eggnog?
Eggnog appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,714th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce eggnog?
- UK /ˌɛɡˈnɒɡ/
- UK /ˈɛɡ.nɒɡ/
- US /ˈɛɡ.nɑɡ/
Eggnog has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-eggnog.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of eggnog
- eggnogs plural
- egg nog
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does eggnog mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy, or whisky; popular at Christmas.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate eggnog?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of eggnog: nog.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Eggnog in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense egg-based beverage:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lait de poule |
| German | Eierkognak, Eierpunsch |
| Portuguese | eggnog |
| Spanish | licor de huevos, ponche de huevo, rompope, rompopo, candeal |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does eggnog come from?
American English c. 1775 (although drinks like it are attested far earlier, e.g. posset, of which a monastic Christmas recipe used eggs), from egg + nog. The second element is uncertain and long-debated; prominent claims include Norfolk dialect nog (“strong ale”), or a clipping of noggin (“small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol”) (q.v.). Another hypothesis is that it is a variant of grog (“rum-and-water cocktail”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).