Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

merle

/mɝl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.04 in modern English

Syllables
mer-le
IPA
/mɝl/
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any blackbird.

noun

A type of mottled coloration on dogs.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A dog having this coloration.

Countable; Uncountable

name

A surname from French of French origin.

name

A male given name transferred from the surname.

name

A female given name from English.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English merle, from Old French merle (French merle), from Latin merula (“blackbird”) (whence the directly borrowed Middle English merule, and compare the taxonomic name Turdus merula), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mes- (“black, blackbird”). Compare Breton moualch (“ouzel”), Welsh mwyalch (“blackbird, thrush”). Distantly related to the synonymous ouzel.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /mɝl/
  • British English: /mɜːl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce merle?
The recorded pronunciation is /mɝl/.
What does merle mean?
A Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula.
Where does merle come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce merle

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