Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dirigible

/ˈdɪɹ.ə.d͡ʒə.bəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.16 in modern English

Syllables: di-ri-gi-ble
IPA: /ˈdɪɹ.ə.d͡ʒə.bəl/

13

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A self-propelled airship that can be steered.

adj

Example Sentences

"Do you know, Louis, of any great secret military camp where a surprise fleet of dirigibles and flying machines of a new and terrible pattern is being formed by a far-seeing Government as a reserve against the day of Armageddon?"
"On the opposite wall, the R101 tragedy is recalled by the airship's tattered ensign in a glass case, a plaque from the Royal Airship Works and a photograph of the dirigible at her moorings."
"People had time to think up some questions, including reporters who shouted “Are you going to shoot down the balloon?” at President Biden shortly before the dirigible came down."

Etymology

From French dirigeable, from ballon dirigeable (“steerable balloon”).

Word Breakdown

Root: *h₃reǵ-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdɪɹ.ə.d͡ʒə.bəl/
British English: /ˈdɪɹɪd͡ʒəbəl/

Inflected Forms

dirigibles (plural) more dirigible (comparative) most dirigible (superlative)

Derived Forms

dirigibility indirigible

Phrases

barrage balloon

Frequently Paired Words

airship balloon barrage balloon blimp zeppelin

Synonyms

steerable airship

Questions

How do you pronounce dirigible?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɪɹ.ə.d͡ʒə.bəl/.
What does dirigible mean?: A self-propelled airship that can be steered.
Where does dirigible come from?: From French dirigeable, from ballon dirigeable (“steerable balloon”).

How to pronounce dirigible

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dirigible”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɪɹ.ə.d͡ʒə.bəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “dirigible” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.