In

How to spell in

2 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce in

What does in mean?

1. prepositionExpressing the situation of being enclosed or surrounded by something, or located within a place, period, or state.

In in a sentence

• The spare keys are in the top drawer of the desk.

• The report is due in three weeks, so there is still time to revise it.

Where does in come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The word 'in' is one of the oldest and most stable words in English, descending directly from Old English 'in', which already meant 'within' or 'into'. It traces back to the Proto-Germanic '*in', the same source that gave German 'in' and Dutch 'in', and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root '*en', meaning 'in'. That ancient root is astonishingly widespread: it surfaces in Latin 'in', in Greek 'en' (as in 'energy' and 'enthusiasm'), and in countless modern relatives. Because it has been a core function word for well over a thousand years, its spelling never accumulated silent letters or borrowed complications, which is exactly why it stayed two plain letters. The same little root hides at the front of words like 'income', 'inside', and 'into', all of which simply mean motion or position toward the interior.

How the word is built

• in (a single Old English root meaning 'within' or 'into'; not decomposable into prefix, root, and suffix)

Words that sound like in

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

• inn: A small establishment, often by a roadside, that provides lodging, food, and drink to travellers.