Pig Latin Translator

Q: How do you say hello in Pig Latin?

Ellohay! To say "hello" in Pig Latin, follow these steps: Take the first letter of the word ("h") and move it to the end. Leave the rest of the letters as they are, so for now you get "elloh". Add "ay" at the end of the new word. Tadaa! That gives you "ellohay".

Q: What's no in Pig Latin?

It's "onay" if you follow the rules of Pig Latin, but you may encounter "ixnay" , which comes from the old slang word nix, meaning "nothing" or "no". And then, in Pig Latin, "nix" becomes "ixnay".

Creators

Claudia Herambourg

Claudia Herambourg is an aspiring computational linguist with a passion for both words and numbers. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Mathematical Studies from University College Cork, Ireland. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Linguistics at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris, specializing in computational linguistics. In her spare time, you'll probably find her reading a book of Japanese literature that nobody has ever heard of, on a train going nowhere. See full profile

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Reviewers

Steven Wooding

Steven Wooding is a physicist by training with a degree from the University of Surrey specializing in nuclear physics. He loves data analysis and computer programming. He has worked on exciting projects such as environmentally aware radar, using genetic algorithms to tune radar, and building the UK vaccine queue calculator. Steve is now the Editorial Quality Assurance Coordinator here at Omni Calculator, making sure every calculator meets the standards our users expect. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, photography, wildlife watching, and long walks. See full profile

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Welcome to our Pig Latin translator, or rather, should I say — Elcomeway otay ourway Igpay Atinlay anslatortray — a tool that we're sure will bring back memories.

Do you remember when you used to try to communicate secretly with your friends, sending messages written in invisible ink, using a made-up alphabet, or a secret code like Pig Latin? If you've landed on our Pig Latin translator, it's certainly not by accident, and you may be seeking a bit of nostalgia. And we are here for it!

Because learning is always fun, we accompany our English to Pig Latin translator with a short text:

Answering questions such as what is Pig Latin? (in case you forgot) or Is Pig Latin a secret code?;
Stating the Pig Latin rules; and
Sharing with you some well-known English to Pig Latin translations.

Eadyray otay avehay omesay unfay? Let's dive snout-first into the secret world of Pig Latin!

What is Pig Latin?

If you don't know what Pig Latin is, you may be wondering, Is Pig Latin a Real Language?, and if so, Who Speaks Pig Latin? We will answer these questions in a very brief moment, but if you would like a more comprehensive answer, click on the hyperlinks above.

In short, Pig Latin is not a real language. It is what is known as a "language game" or "cant" (check our article What is a cant? to learn more). The purpose of Pig Latin is to modify English words in a certain way according to specific rules, so that when you speak, the words seem incomprehensible to people who do not know the rules.

💡 Besides the fact that Pig Latin is pretty cool for talking with your friends without others understanding you, you can also use it to create seemingly complex passwords that only you can decipher (apart from other Pig Latin speakers or users of the Pig Latin translator, of course).

Pig Latin rules: How does Pig Latin work?

Now that you know Pig Latin isn't a real language, you might be thinking, "Cool, but still, how does Pig Latin work?". Well, for instance, if I write "Iway ovelay Omniway Alculatorcay" (I love Omni Calculator), don't you see a particular pattern? We're sure you do! It's pretty straightforward; there are only two rules:

For words that begin with a consonant or consonant blend (i.e., two or three letters that form a single sound or phoneme: for example, squirrel, green, forest, etc.), the consonant combination is moved to the end of the word, and then "ay" is added:
- squirrel → irrelsquay
- green → eengray
- forest → orestfay

Some other online Pig Latin translators do not treat "qu" or "squ" as unique phonemes, so that you may see squirrel → uirrelsqay. According to standard Pig Latin rules, this is incorrect: "qu" and "squ" must stay together when moving the initial consonant cluster.

For words that begin with a vowel, "way" is added at the end:
- I → Iway
- oblivious → obliviousway
- artefact → artefactway

You may also come across a version of the rules where words beginning with a vowel take "yay" instead of "way", as in artist → artistyay. Both variations are acceptable. In our Pig Latin translator, we use the "way" convention for words that start with vowels.

💡 These simple rules are all you need to start forming Pig Latin words. But if you'd like to go further, head over to our article How to speak Pig Latin?

How to use the Pig Latin translator

Using our Pig Latin translator couldn't be easier:

Type any English word, phrase, or sentence into the field.
Watch the magic happen! Your text will instantly be translated into Pig Latin!
Try it out with different words to see how Pig Latin changes depending on whether a word starts with a consonant or a vowel.

So, is Pig Latin a secret code?
Sort of… It's not as complicated as Morse code or Vigenère cipher, but you can use it, along with our English to Pig Latin translator, to encode certain messages that you don't want to be easily cracked.

List of English to Pig Latin examples

Here is a short list of the most common words or phrases you may want to use:

English	Pig Latin
Hello	ellohay
Goodbye	Oodbyegay
Please	Easeplay
Thank you	Ankthay ouyay
How are you?	Owhay areway ouyay?
Good, and you?	Oodgay, andway ouyay?
What's your name?	At'swhay ouryay amenay?
My name is …	Ymay amenay isway …
I miss you	Iway issmay ouyay
I love you	Iway ovelay ouyay

Want to give it a try? Enter one of these phrases into the translator above, or make up your own! You'll be surprised at how quickly you start thinking (and maybe even speaking) in Pig Latin. Soon, you won't need Omni Calculator to piggyback your way through it!

FAQs

How do you say hello in Pig Latin?

Ellohay! To say "hello" in Pig Latin, follow these steps:

Take the first letter of the word ("h") and move it to the end.
Leave the rest of the letters as they are, so for now you get "elloh".
Add "ay" at the end of the new word.
Tadaa! That gives you "ellohay".

Who invented Pig Latin?

We don't really know, but some say that Pig Latin was invented by monks who enjoyed distorting Latin for fun. They would transform serious poetry verses or philosophical phrases into absurd versions, much like an old inside joke. That's why it's called "Pig Latin"; it's a playful and "corrupted" version of real Latin!

What's no in Pig Latin?

It's "onay" if you follow the rules of Pig Latin, but you may encounter "ixnay", which comes from the old slang word nix, meaning "nothing" or "no". And then, in Pig Latin, "nix" becomes "ixnay".

What are the common mistakes in Pig Latin?

A common mistake is to move only the first letter instead of the entire initial sound. For example, you don't say "nowsay" for "snow" but "owsnay"! You must always move the entire consonant cluster.