Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

maternity

/məˈtɜɹnəti/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.66 in modern English

Syllables
ma-tern-i-ty
IPA
/məˈtɜɹnəti/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being a mother; motherhood.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The state of being pregnant; pregnancy.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A ward or department in a hospital in which babies are born.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French maternité, from Latin māternitās.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /məˈtɜɹnəti/
  • British English: /məˈtɜːnɪti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

maternities (plural)

Derived Forms

grandmaternity maternitywear nonmaternity prematernity

Phrases

co-maternity maternity bra maternity dress maternity hospital maternity jeans maternity leave maternity pillow maternity test

Synonyms

maternity ward motherliness maternalism maternal quality motherhood pregnancy gestation

Antonyms

paternity

Rhymes With

paternity eternity fraternity quaternity

Questions

How do you pronounce maternity?
The recorded pronunciation is /məˈtɜɹnəti/.
What does maternity mean?
The state of being a mother; motherhood.
Where does maternity come from?
From French maternité, from Latin māternitās.

How to pronounce maternity

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