Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

esplanade

/ˈɛspləˌneɪd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.78 in modern English

Syllables
es-planade
IPA
/ˈɛspləˌneɪd/
12
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A clear space between a citadel and the nearest houses of the town.

noun

The glacis of the counterscarp, or the slope of the parapet of the covered way toward the country.

noun

A grass plat; a lawn.

noun

Any clear, level space used for public walks or drives; especially, a terrace by the seaside.

noun

Grassy strips between two divided highway lanes; a traffic island.

Etymology

1590s, from French esplanade (“clear, level space”), from either Spanish esplanada (explanada), form of esplanar (“to flatten, to make level”) or Italian spianata, form of spianare (of the same meaning), both from Latin explānāre, from which English explain; see also plain (“level area, to flatten”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: esplanade, esplanada, explānāre

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɛspləˌneɪd/
  • British English: /ˈɛspləˌneɪd/

Inflected Forms

esplanades (plural)

Derived Forms

esplanaded

Frequently Paired Words

explain plain

Synonyms

promenade

Rhymes With

god squad odd rod todd cod nod pod quad assad facade dodd

Questions

How do you pronounce esplanade?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɛspləˌneɪd/.
What does esplanade mean?
A clear space between a citadel and the nearest houses of the town.
Where does esplanade come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce esplanade

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