Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

penrose stairs

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.72 in modern English

Syllables
pen-rose s-tairs
IPA
15
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an optical illusion appearing to depict such a loop.

Example Sentences

Etymology

After a drawing by Lionel Penrose and Roger Penrose.

Synonyms

impossible staircase Penrose staircase Penrose steps

Questions

What does penrose stairs mean?
An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an optical illusion appearing to depict such a loop.
Where does penrose stairs come from?
After a drawing by Lionel Penrose and Roger Penrose.

How to pronounce penrose stairs

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “penrose stairs”.
  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 “penrose stairs”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “penrose stairs” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.