Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alter ego

/ˈɔl.tɚ iɡoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.73 in modern English

Syllables: al-ter ego
IPA: /ˈɔl.tɚ iɡoʊ/

9

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An individual's alternate personality or persona; another self.

noun

A very close and intimate friend.

noun

A corporation used by a person to conduct personal business in an attempt to shield himself or herself from personal liability, and which a court may penetrate by "piercing the corporate veil" to impose liability on the person when they commit fraud or injustice.

Example Sentences

"Clark Kent's coworkers finally discovered his alter ego, Superman."
"[…] a belief in the possibility of a man possessing an alter ego in the form of some animal such as a crocodile or a hippopotamus. It is believed that such a person's life is bound up with that of the animal to such an extent that, whatever affects the one produces a corresponding impression upon the other, and that if one dies the other must speedily do so too."
"As one commentator has remarked, all the confusing old three-syllable names that used to index Chinese politics can now be forgotten — the names and their bearers have ceased to be of the slightest importance. In their place stands one man — a small, frail, volatile but tremendously energetic man — who oddly enough has become the alter ego of that powerful, sprawling, sleepy giant that is China."
"Ruffalo's turn as Bruce Banner and his angry green alter-ego has been widely praised. Avengers Assemble (titled The Avengers outside the UK) is on course to be one of the year's biggest films and has received strong reviews."
"GWM, 5'10", 175, 40, non-smoker, MCC-er. Good build. Int. in classical music, books, travel. Seeks alter ego with own peace for honest relationship."

Etymology

From Latin alter ego (literally “other me”).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: alter ego

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɔl.tɚ iɡoʊ/
British English: /ˈɔːl.təɹ iːɡəʊ/

Inflected Forms

alter egos (plural)

Derived Forms

alter alteregoism

Phrases

alter-egotism double life

Frequently Paired Words

alteregoism alter-egotism double life

Synonyms

alter idem

Questions

How do you pronounce alter ego?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɔl.tɚ iɡoʊ/.
What does alter ego mean?: An individual's alternate personality or persona; another self.
Where does alter ego come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce alter ego

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