Inner

How to spell inner

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce inner

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does inner mean?

1. adjectiveLocated inside or further within; relating to the interior or to private feelings.

Inner in a sentence

• The bank kept the documents in an inner vault.

• She finally found a sense of inner calm after the move.

Where does inner come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word comes from the Old English innera, which was the comparative form of the adverb inne, meaning 'in' or 'within'. It belongs to the same native Germanic family as the preposition 'in', and its job was originally to point to whatever lay further inside than something else. Over time the comparative force faded and the word simply came to mean 'interior' or 'inside', as in an inner room or an inner circle. The doubled n, which is the only mild spelling snag, reflects the short, sharp vowel of that original inne; English keeps the consonant doubled to signal the clipped sound. Its quiet relatives include 'inn', 'into', and the everyday 'in' itself, all tracing back to the same ancient root for being within.

How the word is built

• inn- (from Old English inne: in, within)
• -er (comparative/adjectival suffix)