needn't
need·n't/niːdn̩t/verb
needn't is spelled N-E-E-D-N-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables (need·n't). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, needn't means “Need not” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in needn't?
| Letters | 6: N-E-E-D-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: need·n't |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is needn't?
Needn't appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,798th 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 needn't?
- /niːdn̩t/
Needn't has 2 syllables, split need·n't in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-needn't.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What does needn't mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
UKNeed not.
We needn’t go to sleep early because tomorrow morning school starts late.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does needn't come from?
From need + -n't.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).