Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

famine

/ˈfæm.ən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.61 in modern English

Syllables
fam-ine
IPA
/ˈfæm.ən/
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Extreme shortage of food in a region.

Uncountable

noun

A period of extreme shortage of food in a region.

Countable

noun

Starvation or malnutrition.

Countable; Dated; Uncountable

noun

Severe shortage or lack of something.

Countable; Uncountable

name

The personification of famine, often depicted riding a black horse.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French famine, itself from the root of Latin fames.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfæm.ən/
  • British English: /ˈfæm.ɪn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

the black rider dearth shortage

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce famine?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfæm.ən/.
What does famine mean?
Extreme shortage of food in a region.
Where does famine come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce famine

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