Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

manatee

/ˈmæn.əˌtiː/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.74 in modern English

Syllables: man-a-tee
IPA: /ˈmæn.əˌtiː/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mostly herbivorous sirenian of the genus Trichechus, having a paddle-like tail and nails on their flippers, found in tropical regions.

Example Sentences

"The ecological importance of the manatee is clear; scientists have demonstrated the dependancy^([sic]) of all components of an ecosystem on one another […]"

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Cariban *manatɨ Caribanbor. Spanish manatíbor. English manatee Borrowed from Spanish manatí, from a Cariban-language term meaning ‘breast’, ultimately from Proto-Cariban *manatɨ; compare Kari'na manaty, Trió manatï, Apalaí manaty, Akawaio manatï, Pemon manatü, Macushi manatî.

Origin

Source language: Spanish

Word Breakdown

Root: manatí, *manatɨ

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈmæn.əˌtiː/

Inflected Forms

manatees (plural)

Phrases

African manatee Manatee County manatee grass West African manatee sea cow

Frequently Paired Words

dugong mermaid sea cow siren dolphin whale walrus seal

Synonyms

lamantin trichechus manatus

Questions

How do you pronounce manatee?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmæn.əˌtiː/.
What does manatee mean?: A mostly herbivorous sirenian of the genus Trichechus, having a paddle-like tail and nails on their flippers, found in tropical regions.
Where does manatee come from?: It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce manatee

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