Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

autochthon

/ɔˈtɑkθ(ə)n/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.05 in modern English

Syllables
au-toch-thon
IPA
/ɔˈtɑkθ(ə)n/
18
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The earliest inhabitant of an area; an indigenous person.

Formal

noun

A term referring to mortals and immortals who have sprung, fully-formed, from the soil, rocks and trees. Mythical characters, such as Erichthonius (a son of Hephaestus and Gaia, and raised by Athena), and Cecrops I, are two most well-known examples.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐτόχθων (autókhthōn, “indigenous”), from αὐτός (autós, “self”) + χθών (khthṓn, “earth, soil”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: αὐτόχθων

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɔˈtɑkθ(ə)n/
  • British English: /ɔːˈtɒkθ(ə)n/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Questions

How do you pronounce autochthon?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɔˈtɑkθ(ə)n/.
What does autochthon mean?
The earliest inhabitant of an area; an indigenous person.
Where does autochthon come from?
It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce autochthon

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