How to Speak Pig Latin: A Fun and Easy Guide
Have you ever wondered, perhaps for the first or thousandth time, how to speak Pig Latin and what the rules of Pig Latin truly are? Well, you've come to the right place! In this article, we'll explain how to speak Pig Latin in the simplest way possible. By the end, you'll know precisely how this secret language works.
If you've never heard of it, Pig Latin is what is known as a language game or, more technically, a cant. In other words, it's not a real language. (Not sure why? You can learn more by reading our article: Is Pig Latin a Real Language?).
Pig Latin is essentially a playful way of rearranging and twisting English words so that people who don't know the rules can't easily understand what you're saying or writing. It's simple, clever, and just obscure enough to make it seem like you're speaking in code. Want to know more about it? Keep reading to discover:
- How to speak in Pig Latin;
- Why it's called Pig Latin;
- How to say "I love you" in Pig Latin; and
- Our Pig Latin meaning game that we've created especially for you!
Ready to learn how to speak Pig Latin and become unbeatable at Igpay Atinlay? Let's go!
Here we are — this is the very much-awaited moment where you'll actually learn to turn English into Pig Latin! Basically, what you need to know is that Pig Latin follows a couple of simple patterns, depending on whether a word starts with a consonant or a vowel.
1. Words that begin with consonants
If a word starts with a consonant (like "game") or a group of consonants that make one sound (like "prime"), you'll want to move that part from the beginning of the word to the end. Then, add "ay" to this newly created word. Here are some examples, so that you can better picture it:
game → amegaylake → akelayPig Latin → Igpay Atinlay
As said, if you have a word that begins with a consonant cluster (two or three letters that make one blended sound, like "sw", "gl", "fr", "qu", "squ", etc.), the same rule applies: move the whole cluster, not just one letter. For example:
query → eriquayglove → oveglayscary → yrescay
A note: Some online Pig Latin translators get this wrong; they split up "qu" or "squ", giving you something like squirrel → uirrelsqay. That's not technically correct! In real Pig Latin, "qu" and "squ" count as a single sound (or phoneme), so they need to stay together when you move them. Our Pig Latin translator does not make this mistake — click on the link and see for yourself.
2. Words that begin with vowels
Now let's see what happens when a word starts with a vowel ("a", "e", "i", "o", or "u"). The good news is that this part is even easier! You don't need to rearrange any letters; you simply add a little ending to the word. Most Pig Latin speakers add "way" to the end of the word, but some prefer "yay" or even just "ay". Here's what it looks like:
I → Iwayartist → artistwayegg → eggyayant → antyayunsteady → unsteadyayentrance → entranceay
Pretty easy, right?
💡 Did you know?
Pig Latin has existed in some form or another for centuries. Rumor has it that even Thomas Jefferson wrote letters in this coded language (though there's no solid proof of that). It became especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and a few Pig Latin words have since made their way into everyday English, such as "ixnay" (from "nix" meaning "no" or "nothing") and "amscray" (from "scram").
The "y" rule
Because "y" can be both a consonant and a vowel, the Pig Latin rules are slightly different for this letter and depend on where it shows up in the word. Let's break it down:
- When "y" starts a word, treat it like a consonant. That means you move it to the end of the word and add your Pig Latin ending, just like usual:
yogurt → ogurtyay
- When "y" is the second letter in a short word, like "rye", it acts like a vowel. So you follow the standard rule again.
rye → yeray
- When "y" comes at the end of a consonant cluster, "y" behaves also like a vowel and stays put.
rythm → ythmrhay
Compound words
There are two ways to handle compound words, and neither of them is wrong; it just depends on what you prefer! You can:
- Treat each part as a separate word. This method can create words that sound more secret and are harder to guess.
grasshopper → assgray opperhayraincoat → ainray oatcay
- Keep it as one whole word. This approach is simpler and is the one most online Pig Latin translators (like ours) will use.
grasshopper → asshoppergrayraincoat → aincoatray
If you prefer translating each word separately, type the words with a space between them in a Pig Latin translator. For example, enter "rain coat" instead of "raincoat".
Now that you know the rules of Pig Latin, let's have some fun! Put on your detective hat and try to decode this secret message:
Isthay isway away aletay aboutway anway unprejudicedway earthay, andway owhay itway angedchay ourway alleyvay oreverfay. Erethay asway away imetay otnay osay onglay agoway enwhay igspay ereway affordedway onay espectray, exceptway ybay otherway igspay; eythay ivedlay eirthay olewhay iveslay inway away uelcray andway unlesssay orldway. Inway osethay aysday igspay elievedbay atthay ethay oonersay eythay ewgray argelay andway atfay, ethay oonersay ey'dthay ebay akentay intoway Igpay Aradisepay, away aceplay osay onderfulway atthay onay igpay adhay everway oughtthay otay omecay ackbay.
Think you can figure it out? If you're stuck, our Pig Latin translator can give you a nudge (or the complete answer).
Hint: Don't bacon on it too much, Babe!
To sum up quickly, to speak Pig Latin, remember those two main rules. If the word starts with a consonant, you move the consonant to the end and then add "ay". And if the word begins with a vowel, you add "way", "yay", and sometimes even "ay" at the end of the word without changing it. Now you are all set to become a fluent Pig Latin speaker!
Pig Latin is part of the tradition of inventing distorted versions of everyday language in order to hide its meaning or simply for fun. It probably originated in ancient "corrupted" language games that played with English and Latin. However, keep in mind that it is not real Latin, but a playful code that appears mysterious if you don't know the rules, but that is actually relatively easy to decipher.
Iway ovelay ouyay. Each word follows the same rule — let's take "love":
- Move the first letter ("l") to the end (because it's a consonant).
- Don't touch the other letters, which give you "ovel".
- Add "ay" to obtain "ovelay".
- You've just written "love" in Pig Latin.
No. Dog Latin (also known as "cod Latin", "fake Latin", or "Canis Latinicus") is actually much closer to real Latin than Pig Latin. Instead of rearranging English words like Pig Latin does, Dog Latin takes English and adds fake Latin endings to make it sound classical. Thus, the word "tree" becomes "treemus," "TikTok," "TikTokus," and "fox" becomes "foxium," etc.
People don't speak Pig Latin as a real language, but they can speak it for fun! Children use it as a secret code, and adults sometimes use it as a nostalgic joke. You can even hear it in movies, cartoons, or anime when someone wants to be sneaky.
This article was written by Claudia Herambourg and reviewed by Steven Wooding.