irony
/ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/noun, adjective
irony is spelled I-R-O-N-Y: 5 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 7.2 times per million words in written English, the 8,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, irony means “The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of irony is ironies.
How many letters and syllables are in irony?
| Letters | 5: I-R-O-N-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.2 times per million words; the 8,784th 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 irony?
Irony appears 7.2 times per million words in written English, the 8,784th 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 irony?
- UK /ˈaɪə.ɹə.ni/
- US /ˈaɪ.ɹə.ni/
- US /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/
As an adjective (“Of or pertaining to the metal iron”): /ˈaɪə.ni/, /ˈaɪ.ɚ.ni/.
Irony has 3 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-irony-2.ogg, En-us-irony.ogg, En-au-irony.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of irony
- ironies plural
- more irony comparative
- most irony superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does irony mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.
- 2
An ironic statement.
- 3
Dramatic irony: a theatrical effect in which the meaning of a situation, or some incongruity in the plot, is understood by the audience, but not by the characters in the play.
- 4
Socratic irony: ignorance feigned for the purpose of confounding or provoking an antagonist.
- 5
informalContradiction between circumstances and expectations; condition contrary to what might be expected.
- 6
datedA kind of metallic marble.
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to the metal iron.
The food had an irony taste to it.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Irony in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ironie , ironie du sort , ferreux |
| German | Ironie |
| Portuguese | ironia , ferroso |
| Spanish | ironía , férreo |
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 irony come from?
First attested in 1502. From Middle French ironie, from Old French, from Latin īrōnīa, from Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία (eirōneía, “irony, pretext”), from εἴρων (eírōn, “one who feigns ignorance”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).