Middle English Translator
Rewrite modern English in Chaucer-style Middle English spelling and see every word that changed.
Modern English
5,000 character limit reached. Extra text was cut off.
Middle English style
Style rewrite for fun – not a real Middle English translation.
What changed
| Your word | Changed to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| friend | freend | Spelling of the time |
| knight | knyght | Spelling of the time |
| rode | rood | Spelling of the time |
| home | hoom | Spelling of the time |
| through | thurgh | Spelling of the time |
| night | nyght | Spelling of the time |
| told | tolde | Spelling of the time |
| old | olde | Spelling of the time |
| town | toun | Spelling of the time |
No words changed. Try everyday words like night, friend, home, old.
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What Is a Middle English Translator?
A Middle English translator rewrites modern English with the spellings and some of the grammar of Chaucer's time: knight becomes knyght, home becomes hoom, through becomes thurgh, and verbs after he or she end in -eth. This tool does it with a spelling list and a few rules, and shows each change in a table.
Middle English came after Old English and before the English of Shakespeare. It is much easier to read than Old English, which is why a line of Chaucer often looks like modern English with odd spelling.
How to Use the Middle English Translator
Paste a sentence
Short, everyday sentences give the most changes. Up to 5,000 characters.
Compare the spellings
The table pairs each modern word with its Middle English spelling.
Copy the result
Use it for a class handout, a story or a fantasy map.
Middle English Words and Spelling Rules
The spellings below are the ones this tool uses. Middle English spelling was never fixed, so you will find other spellings of the same words in other texts.
| Modern | Middle English style | Why it changes |
|---|---|---|
| night | nyght | y was often written where we write i. |
| knight | knyght | The k and gh were still pronounced. |
| home | hoom | Long vowels were often written double: hoom. |
| good friend | good freend | Freend: double vowels again. |
| old | olde | A final -e, often sounded in verse. |
| through | thurgh | Thurgh, closer to how it was said. |
| town | toun | Ou for the vowel we now spell ow. |
| he loves | he loveth | He, she and it took -eth. |
| you | ye | Ye as a subject, yow as an object. |
| your | youre | Youre. |
| their | hir | Hir; the th- form came later from Norse. |
| them | hem | Hem. |
| very sweet | ful swete | Ful meant very. |
| also | eek | Eek. |
| call | clepe | Clepe, an old word for name or call. |
| people | folk | Folk. |
| said | seyde | Seyde. |
| when | whan | Whan. |
| woman | womman | Womman. |
| I think | Me thynketh | Me thynketh: it seems to me. |
| not | nat | Nat. |
Middle English Translator Examples
Each example below was produced by this tool. Tap Try this to load it into the box above.
- The knight rode through the night.The knyght rood thurgh the nyght.Changed: knight → knyght, rode → rood, through → thurgh, night → nyght
- My friend told me a good story.My freend tolde me a good storie.Changed: friend → freend, told → tolde, story → storie
- Our father gave us bread and wine.Oure fader yaf us breed and wyn.Changed: Our → Oure, father → fader, gave → yaf, bread → breed and more
- Many people came to see the light.Manye folk cam to see the lyght.Changed: Many → Manye, people → folk, came → cam, light → lyght
- Tell me the truth, my friend.Telle me the trouthe, my freend.Changed: Tell → Telle, truth → trouthe, friend → freend
- The bird sang a sweet song in the morning.The brid sang a swete song in the morwe.Changed: bird → brid, sweet → swete, morning → morwe
Lines from Chaucer
The opening of The Canterbury Tales and a line from its General Prologue, as printed in W. W. Skeat's edition (full text on Project Gutenberg). Note that Skeat prints knight where this tool writes knyght: both spellings appear in Middle English texts.
Whan that Aprille with his shoures sote / The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote
The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, opening lines
He was a verray parfit gentil knight.
The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, the Knight
Is This Real Middle English?
No. Real Middle English had different words, word order and endings, and it changed from region to region and decade to decade. The tool keeps modern grammar and only changes spelling and a small set of words.
A common mix-up: in signs like “ye olde shoppe”, ye is really þe, an old way of writing the with the letter thorn. That is not a Middle English rule this tool applies. If you need a passage translated properly for a class or a book, a Middle English dictionary is the place to start.
Who the Middle English Translator Is For
- Students reading Chaucer who want to get used to the spelling before tackling the real text.
- Fantasy writers and map makers naming places and writing signs with a medieval feel.
- Teachers showing how English spelling has changed.
Other Style Translators
Historical English
Older English, from Chaucer's spelling to Shakespeare's thou and thee to a Victorian letter.
- Old English TranslatorHail, good friend, art thou coming home ere eventide?
- Shakespeare TranslatorGood morrow, good friend, thou art ever welcome here.
- Middle English TranslatorMy freend, the knyght rood hoom thurgh the nyght.
- Victorian TranslatorGood day, I am much obliged to you for the lovely soirée.
Runes
English letters written in rune alphabets, one letter at a time.
- Rune Translatorᚺᛖᛚᛚᛟ ᛗᛃ ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞ
Slang, Dialects and Tone
Everyday slang, regional speech and the formal or silly way of saying the same thing.
- Gen Z TranslatorNgl, my new fit is lowkey fire.
- Southern Accent TranslatorHey y'all, mama is makin' supper.
- Cowboy TranslatorHowdy partner, I reckon the trail is long.
- Slang TranslatorMy ride is busted, so I have no dough.
- Formal English TranslatorHello, are you available tomorrow? Thank you very much.
- Caveman TranslatorMe big hungry and me want food.
Middle English Translator FAQ
Is Middle English the same as Old English?
No. Middle English came after Old English and is far easier to read. Our ancient English translator page compares the stages.
Why does the tool spell knight as knyght?
Scribes often wrote y for i. Spelling was not standardized, so you will see knight, knyght and other forms in different texts.
Can it translate The Canterbury Tales into modern English?
No. It only goes from modern English to Middle English style. For Chaucer, use an edition with notes or a glossary.
Why do some words stay the same?
Many common words, like the, and, man or day, were already spelled the way we spell them.
Is the medieval translator the same thing?
Close, but not quite. Middle English is about spelling; a medieval style is about tone. The Shakespeare translator is closer to that.
Key Points
- The Middle English translator changes spelling (knyght, hoom, thurgh) and a few pronouns and verbs.
- Middle English spelling was not standardized; this tool uses one common set of spellings.
- It keeps modern grammar and word order.
- Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is written in Middle English, which is why it looks familiar but strange.