Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

carnation

/kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.70 in modern English

Syllables
car-na-tion
IPA
/kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The type of flower they bear, originally flesh-coloured, but since hybridizing found in a variety of colours.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A rosy pink colour

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The pinkish colors used in art to render human face and flesh

Archaic; Countable; Uncountable

noun

A scarlet colour.

Countable; Uncountable

adj

Of a rosy pink or red colour.

adj

Of a human flesh color.

Archaic

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle French carnation (“flesh color, complexion”), either via Italian carnagione (“flesh color”) or directly from Late Latin carnātiō (“fleshiness”), from Latin carō (“flesh, meat”) + ātiō (“-ation”). As a flower and its color, possibly instead from corruption in French of coronation (“crowning, crowned thing”) under the influence of carnation, from the flower's supposed resemblance to a crown. By surface analysis, Latin carn- + -ate + -ion.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *(s)ker-, carnation, carnagione, carnātiō, carō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/
  • British English: /kɑːˈneɪ.ʃən/

Usage

Inflected Forms

carnations (plural)

Derived Forms

carnationed carnationist

Phrases

carnation-grass Carnation Revolution sea carnation

Frequently Paired Words

carnal carnassial carnify carnival carnivore carnosity incarnadine incarnate

Synonyms

clove pink Dianthus caryophyllus cottage pink Dianthus plumarius gillyflower

Rhymes With

information education situation population station association administration operation organization nation location application

Questions

How do you pronounce carnation?
The recorded pronunciation is /kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/.
What does carnation mean?
A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.
Where does carnation come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce carnation

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