Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dissonance

/ˈdɪsənəns/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.02 in modern English

Syllables: dis-so-nance
IPA: /ˈdɪsənəns/

13

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A harsh, discordant combination of sounds.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Conflicting notes that are not overtones of the note or chord sounding.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A state of disagreement or conflict.

Uncountable

noun

An instance of that state.

Countable

Example Sentences

"Cognitive dissonance exists when a person possesses two cognitions, one of which is contradictory to the other"
"In this polyphony of images in the unconscious which is beyond and outside historical time, there are complex harmonies but no dissonances: the images do not clash, but that, of course, is an aesthetic judgment and not a scientific one."

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French dissonance, from Latin dissonantia; by surface analysis, dis- + son- + -ance.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: dissonantia

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdɪsənəns/
British English: /ˈdɪsənəns/

Usage

Inflected Forms

dissonances (plural)

Derived Forms

dissonancy dissonant

Phrases

cognitive dissonance critical dissonance lyrical dissonance

Frequently Paired Words

assonance sonic sonorous sound

Synonyms

cacophony discordance discord disharmony disjunction dispute argument argy-bargy altercation contention barney bawl out

Antonyms

consonance concordance concord

Questions

How do you pronounce dissonance?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɪsənəns/.
What does dissonance mean?: A harsh, discordant combination of sounds.
Where does dissonance come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce dissonance

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dissonance”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɪsənəns/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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