Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

especial

/ɛsˈpɛʃəl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.73 in modern English

Syllables: es-pe-cial
IPA: /ɛsˈpɛʃəl/

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Exceptional in importance or significance; special.

adj

Example Sentences

"Pay especial attention to chapter five."
"an especial hatred of cats"
"[...] this is of especial value in foggy weather."
"Starting from this base list, a number of databases were systematically searched for terms, with especial effort taken to discover the earliest attestation possible[.]"
"acting with no especial goal"
"Only one modern picture was admitted, and that was a likeness of Constance, painted under her father's especial instructions."

Etymology

From Middle English especial, via Old French especial, from Latin specialis, from species (“appearance, form, beauty”), from specere (“to look”). Doublet of special. Related to species.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *speḱ-, especial, specialis

Inflected Forms

more especial (comparative) most especial (superlative) especiall (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

especially especialness

Phrases

in especial

Frequently Paired Words

special

Synonyms

exceptional particular special

Rhymes With

special peschel meshell pavement special deasil

Questions

How do you pronounce especial?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɛsˈpɛʃəl/.
What does especial mean?: Exceptional in importance or significance; special.
Where does especial come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce especial

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɛsˈpɛʃəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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