New York

/ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk/

//ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk// name

"new-york" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“New York” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The largest city in the state of New York, and the largest city in the United States, a metropolis extending into neighboring New Jersey in addition to Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Key facts for New York
PropertyValue
HeadwordNew York
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “New York” sits in English frequency

New York falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

New York is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 9 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for New York, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New + York. The name was chosen in honor of James, Duke of York, the original proprietor of the Province of New York. The correct English form is New York, spelled N-E-W- -Y-O-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    The largest city in the state of New York, and the largest city in the United States, a metropolis extending into neighboring New Jersey in addition to Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
  2. 2
    A state of the United States.
  3. 3
    New York County, a county of New York, coterminous with the Borough of Manhattan.
  4. 4
    A former colony of England, from 1664 to 1707, and of Great Britain, from 1707 to 1776, which became the US state of the same name.
  5. 5
    A settlement in Toretsk urban hromada, Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine (co-ordinates: 48°19′55″N 37°50′11″E).
  6. 6
    A few places in England:
  7. 7
    A few places in England:
  8. 8
    A few places in England:
  9. 9
    A few places in England:

Etymology

From New + York. The name was chosen in honor of James, Duke of York, the original proprietor of the Province of New York.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "New York"?
"New York" is spelled N-E-W- -Y-O-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk/.
What does "New York" mean?
As a proper noun, "New York" means: The largest city in the state of New York, and the largest city in the United States, a metropolis extending into neighboring New Jersey in addition to Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
How do you pronounce "New York"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "New York" is /ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "New York"?
From New + York. The name was chosen in honor of James, Duke of York, the original proprietor of the Province of New York. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “New York”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-W- -Y-O-R-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌnjuː ˈjɔːk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list