Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

folklore

/ˈfoʊk.lɔːɹ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.49 in modern English

Syllables
folk-lore
IPA
/ˈfoʊk.lɔːɹ/
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The tales, legends, superstitions, and traditions of a particular ethnic population.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The tales, superstitions etc. of any particular group or community.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The collective of proofs or techniques which are widely known among mathematicians, but have never been formally published.

Countable; Slang; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *fulkazder. Proto-Germanic *fulką Proto-West Germanic *folk Old English folc Middle English folk English folk Proto-Indo-European *leys- Proto-Indo-European *(le-)lóys-e Proto-Germanic *lizaną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *laizijaną Proto-Germanic *laizō Proto-West Germanic *laiʀu Old English lār Middle English lore English lore English folklore From folk + lore, coined by British writer William Thoms in 1846 to replace terms such as "popular antiquities". Thoms imitated German terms such as Volklehre (“people's customs”) and Volksüberlieferung (“popular tradition”). Compare also Old English folclar (“popular instruction; homily”) and West Frisian folkloare (“folklore”).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfoʊk.lɔːɹ/
  • British English: /ˈfəʊk.lɔː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Questions

How do you pronounce folklore?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfoʊk.lɔːɹ/.
What does folklore mean?
The tales, legends, superstitions, and traditions of a particular ethnic population.
Where does folklore come from?
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *fulkazder. Proto-Germanic *fulką Proto-West Germanic *folk Old English folc Middle English folk English folk Proto-Indo-European *leys- Proto-Indo-European *(le-)lóys-e Proto-Germanic *lizaną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *laizijaną Proto-Germanic *laizō Proto-West Germanic *laiʀu Old English lār Middle English lore English lore English folklore From folk + lore, coined by British writer William Thoms in 1846 to replace terms such as "popular antiquities". Thoms imitated German terms such as Volklehre (“people's customs”) and Volksüberlieferung (“popular tradition”). Compare also Old English folclar (“popular instruction; homily”) and West Frisian folkloare (“folklore”).

How to pronounce folklore

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