yon
/jɑn/determiner, adverb, pronoun, phrase
yon is spelled Y-O-N: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Yon, the name). As a determiner, yon means “Distant, but within sight; (that thing) just over there” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in yon?
| Letters | 3: Y-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,504th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| 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 yon?
Yon appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Yon, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce yon?
- UK /jɒn/
- US /jɑn/
Yon has one syllable (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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-yon.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with yon?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as yon from its last stressed vowel (/ɑn/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: noy, ony.
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).
What does yon mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
determiner
- 1
datedDistant, but within sight; (that thing) just over there.
He went to climb yon hill.
adverb
- 1
datedyonder.
pronoun
- 1
datedThat one or those over there.
phrase
- 1
Acronym of yarn over needle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Yon in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense that thing, distant, but within sight:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | celui-là, celle-là, ceux-là, celles-là |
| German | jener, jene, jenes |
| Portuguese | aquilo, aquela, aquele |
| Spanish | aquel, aquella, aquello |
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 yon come from?
From Middle English yon, from Old English ġeon, from Proto-Germanic *jainaz. Cognate with Dutch geen and German jener.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).