turnip
/ˈtɝ.nɪp/noun, verb
turnip is spelled T-U-R-N-I-P: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,320th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, turnip means “The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of turnip is turnips.
How many letters and syllables are in turnip?
| Letters | 6: T-U-R-N-I-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,320th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 turnip?
Turnip appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,320th 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 turnip?
- UK /ˈtɜːnɪp/
- British /ˈtəːnɪp/
- US /ˈtɝ.nɪp/
Turnip 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-turnip.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with turnip?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as turnip (/ɜɹnɪp/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: turpin.
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 turnip
- turnips plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- turniping participle, present
- turnipping participle, present
- turniped participle, past
- turnipped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does turnip mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
- 2
IrelandScotlandThe yellow root of a related plant, the swede or Brassica napus.
- 3
The white root of Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also known as a daikon.
- 4
The root of the yam bean, Pachyrhizus erosus; jicama.
- 5
datedClipping of turnip watch
- 6
slangA fool or simpleton.
verb
- 1
To plant with turnips.
- 2
To feed or graze (livestock) on turnips.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Turnip in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense white root of Brassica rapa:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | navet |
| German | Speiserübe, Mairübe, Teltower Rübchen, Herbstrübe, Wasserrübe, Stoppelrübe |
| Portuguese | nabo |
| Spanish | nabo, grelo, bunio, coyocho |
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 turnip come from?
From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to be harvested. Cognate to neep. See also parsnip.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).