Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ikigai

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.12 in modern English

Syllables
iki-gai
IPA
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The Japanese concept of a reason for being, and having a sense of purpose based on one's interests and talents.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 生き甲斐.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: 生き甲斐

Usage

Phrases

ikigai risk raison d'être

Frequently Paired Words

raison d'être

Questions

What does ikigai mean?
The Japanese concept of a reason for being, and having a sense of purpose based on one's interests and talents.
Where does ikigai come from?
It is traced to Japanese.

How to pronounce ikigai

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ikigai”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ikigai”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “ikigai” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.