A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, quality, or action. In grammarthe system of rules and structure for a language, it is one of the main word classesgroups or categories that share similar features used to name and labelto give something a name or descriptive tag things in a sentence.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /naʊn/
Easy pronunciation: NOWN (approximate spelling).
Stress: Single-syllable word with stress on the only syllable.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Noun Meaning
A word that names a person, place, thing, quality, or action.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action
Example: In the sentence “The dog slept on the mat,” dog and mat are nouns.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Noun
Meaning 2
The grammar category that nouns belong to and that can act as a subject, object, or similar sentence part.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the word class that can serve as the subject or object of a verb, the object of a preposition, or in apposition
Example: In English grammar, a noun can be the subject of a sentence or the object of a verb.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Noun Synonyms
grammar word class
- nominal
- substantive
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse nouns with verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.
- Not every naming word is used the same way in every sentence, so grammar role matters as well as meaning.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does noun mean?
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, quality, or action. It is also the name of a grammar category that can function as a subject or object in a sentence.
What is a noun in simple words?
A noun is a naming word. It tells you who or what you are talking about.
What are synonyms of noun?
For the grammar sense, close alternatives include nominal and substantive. For the everyday meaning, there are no strong direct synonyms.
How do I identify a noun?
Look for the word that names something or that can work as the subject or object in a sentence.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
