Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

merit-based

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.06 in modern English

Syllables: mer-it-based
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Derived from one's academic or extracurricular achievements rather than one's financial need.

Example Sentences

"Last week, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected as “condescending” President Trump’s proposal for a more merit-based immigration policy, she provided a metaphor not just for the shattered condition of Washington’s governance of immigration, but also for the Democratic Party’s ideologically rigid disavowal of all principles of immigration constraint."

Frequently Paired Words

need-based

Questions

What does merit-based mean?: Derived from one's academic or extracurricular achievements rather than one's financial need.

How to pronounce merit-based

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