pony
/ˈpoʊni/noun, verb, adjective
pony is spelled P-O-N-Y: 4 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pony means “A small horse; specifically, any of several small breeds of horse under 14.2 hands at the withers” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pony is ponies.
How many letters and syllables are in pony?
| Letters | 4: P-O-N-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.5 times per million words; the 9,463rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is pony?
Pony appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd 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 pony?
- UK /ˈpəʊni/
- US /ˈpoʊni/
Pony 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-au-pony.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with pony
Also written: pone.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with pony?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as pony from its last stressed vowel (/oʊni/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of pony
- ponies plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ponying participle, present
- ponied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pony mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A small horse; specifically, any of several small breeds of horse under 14.2 hands at the withers.
- 2
A horse of any size.
- 3
A contraption built like a mount, strong enough to support one's weight.
- 4
A small serving of an alcoholic beverage, especially beer.
- 5
AustraliaA serving of 140 millilitres of beer (formerly 5 fl oz); a quarter pint.
- 6
UKslangTwenty-five pounds (money).
- 7
USslangA translation used as a study aid; loosely, a crib, a cheat-sheet.
- 8
slangA ponytail hairstyle.
- 9
slangSynonym of crap: rubbish, nonsense.
- 10
Alternative form of pone.
verb
- 1
To lead (a horse) from another horse.
- 2
To use a crib or cheat-sheet in translating.
adjective
- 1
slangSynonym of crap: of little worth.
noun
- 1
An athletic shoe or other piece of athletic gear of an American-based brand of that name.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pony in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense small horse:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | poney |
| German | Pony, Kleinpferd |
| Portuguese | pônei, pónei |
| Spanish | poni, caballito, póney, jaca, asturión, cuartago |
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 pony come from?
From Scots powny, apparently from Middle French poulenet (“little foal”), ultimately from Late Latin pullanus (“young of an animal”), from pullus. First attested in 1659. Doublet of foal and pullus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).