Auntie

How to spell auntie

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce auntie

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does auntie mean?

1. nounAn affectionate, informal name for an aunt, the sister of one's mother or father, or an uncle's wife.

Auntie in a sentence

• My favourite auntie always sends a card on my birthday.

• We stayed with my auntie during the summer holidays.

Where does auntie come from?

Language of origin: French

This is the warm, familiar form of 'aunt', built by adding the affectionate diminutive ending '-ie' to the everyday word. 'Aunt' itself arrived in English in the 1200s from Old French 'ante', which descended from the Latin 'amita', meaning specifically a father's sister. Over time English lost that narrow distinction, so 'aunt' came to cover any parent's sister or an uncle's wife. The '-ie' (or '-y') suffix is the same homely Germanic ending that turns 'dog' into 'doggie' and 'dad' into 'daddy', signalling closeness rather than any change of meaning. The spelling trap is that ending: the soft final sound is written '-ie' here, not the '-y' a writer might expect, and the silent-feeling 'au' opening still echoes the Latin 'amita'.

How the word is built

• aunt (parent's sister)
• -ie (affectionate/diminutive suffix)

Words that sound like auntie

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• ante: A stake that each player puts into the pot before a hand of cards is dealt; by extension, the amount required to take part in something.