Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pray tell

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.37 in modern English

Syllables: pray tell
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

Please explain (something the requester does not yet understand).

Archaic

intj

Expressing incredulity, please explain (some claim or position the speaker doubts).

Example Sentences

"Pray tell us, how will they fare while you are away?"
"But how, pray tell, do you "notice" something that happens when you're asleep?"

Etymology

From pray (“ask (politely)”) + tell (“explain”).

Usage

Archaic

Synonyms

do tell

Questions

What does pray tell mean?: Please explain (something the requester does not yet understand).
Where does pray tell come from?: From pray (“ask (politely)”) + tell (“explain”).

How to pronounce pray tell

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