Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

helicon

/ˈhɛlɪkɑn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.95 in modern English

Syllables
he-li-con
IPA
/ˈhɛlɪkɑn/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A large tuba whose coils fit around the player's shoulders.

noun

A low-frequency electromagnetic wave observed in various plasmas.

name

A mountain of Boeotia sacred to Apollo and the Muses.

Etymology

Probably from helic- + -on (“augmentative suffix”), from Ancient Greek ἕλῐξ (hélĭx) + -on, after bombardon.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈhɛlɪkɑn/
  • British English: /ˈhɛlɪkɒn/

Inflected Forms

helicons (plural)

Derived Forms

heliconical heliconist Heliconian

Frequently Paired Words

helical helix sousaphone tuba

Synonyms

bombardon

Questions

How do you pronounce helicon?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɛlɪkɑn/.
What does helicon mean?
A large tuba whose coils fit around the player's shoulders.
Where does helicon come from?
Probably from helic- + -on (“augmentative suffix”), from Ancient Greek ἕλῐξ (hélĭx) + -on, after bombardon.

How to pronounce helicon

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