Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

legato

/ləˈɡɑ.toʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.26 in modern English

Syllables
le-ga-to
IPA
/ləˈɡɑ.toʊ/
7
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A style of performance characterized by smoothly connected notes.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A passage that is played legato.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian legato, past participle of legare (“to tie up, tie together, to bind”), learned borrowing from Latin ligō (“tie, bind”). Doublet of ligate.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *leyǵ-, legato, ligō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ləˈɡɑ.toʊ/
  • British English: /ləˈɡɑ.təʊ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

legatissimo

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce legato?
The recorded pronunciation is /ləˈɡɑ.toʊ/.
What does legato mean?
Smoothly, in a connected manner.
Where does legato come from?
It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce legato

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