Puppy is a young dog, typically under a year old. It refers to a small, playful canine and is commonly used affectionately in everyday speech. As a noun, it denotes a specific age range and endearing animal stage, often contrasted with adult dog in both literal and metaphorical contexts.
"The puppy wagged its tail when I petted it."
"She adopted a fluffy little puppy from the shelter."
"Don’t let the puppy on the couch; it’s training time."
"The kids saved their allowance to buy a puppy."
Puppy comes from the Middle English puppey, a diminutive form of pup, which itself derived from the Old English pup, a term used for a young animal, not exclusively dogs. The root is uncertain but is likely related to a common Germanic root for infant or small animal offspring, akin to puppyish terms in various languages. Over time, puppy narrowed in English to specifically mean a young dog, with affectionate overtones that intensified in the 19th and 20th centuries as domestic dogs became central to family life. The word first appears in English texts in the late medieval period, with the sense evolving from generic references to young animals to a defined stage of canine development, commonly used in both literal and endearing contexts in modern usage.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Puppy" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Puppy" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Puppy"
-opy sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Puppy is pronounced /ˈpʌpi/ in US, UK, and AU English. The first syllable has a stressed short /ʌ/ like 'cup', and the second syllable is a short /i/ as in 'kit'. You start with a quick bilabial stop /p/, then lift the middle of the tongue for /ʌ/, finish with a high front unrounded /i/. Try to keep both syllables clipped and light, with the emphasis clearly on the first syllable.
Common errors: turning the second syllable into a full vowel like /juː/ or /iː/ (“poopy” instead of /ˈpʌpi/), and misplacing the stress by singing it as /ˈpu-pi/ or /ˈpʊp-i/. Correct by keeping the /ʌ/ in the first syllable and using a short, unstressed /i/ in the second; avoid adding length or a glide between syllables. Practice with a light, quick /p/ onset and finish with a crisp /i/.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈpʌpi/ stays similar. Rhoticity doesn’t affect /ˈpʌpi/ much; the vowel /ʌ/ is generally the same, but UK speakers may have a slightly more centralized or backer /ʌ/ depending on regional variation. Final /i/ is a constrained short i in all three. In some Australian speech, you might hear a subtly tenser /iː/ in informal speech, but standard pronunciation remains /ˈpʌpi/ with a short; avoid lengthening the second syllable in all accents.
Two challenges: keeping the short /ʌ/ in a one-syllable-feel first, and ensuring the /i/ is not drawn out or misarticulated as /iː/ or /i/. Also, many learners accidentally say /ˈpuːpi/ with a longer first vowel or insert an extra vowel between the /p/ and /i/. Focus on a crisp, quick vowel in each syllable and a clean, rapid /p/ onset.
A distinct question would be: 'Is the second syllable in puppy pronounced with a full vowel or a reduced vowel?' Answer: It’s a reduced, unstressed /i/; keep it short and crisp, without a full vowel extension. Use IPA cues and point listeners to practice with minimal pairs like 'poppy' vs 'puppy' to hear the subtle vowel difference.
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