Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ballpoint pen

/ˈbɔːlˌpɔɪnt pɛn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.52 in modern English

Syllables
ball-point pen
IPA
/ˈbɔːlˌpɔɪnt pɛn/
18
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A pen, similar in size and shape to a pencil, having an internal chamber filled with a viscous, quick-drying ink that is dispensed at the tip during use by the rolling action of a metal sphere (around 0.7 mm to 1 mm in diameter).

Etymology

From ballpoint + pen. Compare Dutch balpen (“ballpoint pen”).

Inflected Forms

ballpoint pens (plural) ball-point pen (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

dip pen nib pen fountain pen stylographic pen gel pen

Synonyms

ballpoint ball pen ballpen biro

Questions

How do you pronounce ballpoint pen?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɔːlˌpɔɪnt pɛn/.
What does ballpoint pen mean?
A pen, similar in size and shape to a pencil, having an internal chamber filled with a viscous, quick-drying ink that is dispensed at the tip during use by the rolling action of a metal sphere (around 0.7 mm to 1 mm in diameter).
Where does ballpoint pen come from?
From ballpoint + pen. Compare Dutch balpen (“ballpoint pen”).

How to pronounce ballpoint pen

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