Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gila monster

/ˈhilə ˈmɑnstɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.90 in modern English

Syllables: gi-la -mon-ster
IPA: /ˈhilə ˈmɑnstɚ/

14

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, that lives in the deserts of the southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico.

Example Sentences

"Ever see one a them Gila monsters take hold, mister? Grabs hold, an’ you chop him in two an’ his head hangs on."

Etymology

From the Gila River in Arizona and New Mexico, whose name may ultimately derive from a Yuma word meaning "running water which is salty".

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhilə ˈmɑnstɚ/
British English: /ˈhiːlə ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/

Inflected Forms

Gila monsters (plural)

Synonyms

heloderma suspectum

Rhymes With

monster conster

Questions

How do you pronounce gila monster?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhilə ˈmɑnstɚ/.
What does gila monster mean?: A venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, that lives in the deserts of the southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico.
Where does gila monster come from?: From the Gila River in Arizona and New Mexico, whose name may ultimately derive from a Yuma word meaning "running water which is salty".

How to pronounce gila monster

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