zany
za·ny/ˈzeɪni/adjective
zany is spelled Z-A-N-Y: 4 letters and 2 syllables (za·ny). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, zany means “Unusual and awkward in a funny, comical manner; outlandish; clownish” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in zany?
| Letters | 4: Z-A-N-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: za·ny |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 43,187th 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; 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 zany?
Zany appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th 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 zany?
- /ˈzeɪni/
Zany has 2 syllables, split za·ny in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-zany.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with zany?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as zany.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: zayn.
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 zany
- zanier comparative
- zaniest superlative
- zanies present, singular, he/she/it
- zanying participle, present
- zanied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does zany mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Unusual and awkward in a funny, comical manner; outlandish; clownish.
- 2
Ludicrously or incongruously comical.
noun
- 1
archaicA fool or clown, especially one whose business on the stage is to imitate foolishly the actions of the principal clown.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo mimic foolishly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Zany in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense ludicrously or incongruously comical:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | loufoque, farfelu |
| German | verrückt, durchgeknallt |
| Portuguese | bobo |
| Spanish | alocado, disparatado, chiflado |
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 zany come from?
From Middle French zani, zanni, from Italian zanni (“a kind of masked clown character”), from Zanni, a Venetian form of Giovanni. Doublet of Zanni, John, and Giovanni.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).