Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mulatto

/mʊˈlɑtoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.57 in modern English

Syllables: mu-lat-to
IPA: /mʊˈlɑtoʊ/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person of mixed black and white descent, especially a person with one black and one white parent or two mulatto parents.

Derogatory

Example Sentences

"Respectable folk who did not want trouble stayed withindoors; but young apprentices were abroad in force; Negroes and mulattoes; rope- makers and laborers from along the waterfront; and sailors hastening ashore from the ships […]"
"The supermodelesque mulatto woman licked her lips and smiled invitingly."
"The official mouthpiece of the Rosas government, La Gaceta Mercantil, praised Afro-Argentines as “valiant defenders of liberty who have won fame and glory in a hundred battles,” adding that “General Rosas so appreciates the mulattos and morenos that he has no objection to seating them at his table and eating with them.” In other respects, however, the persistence of racism against Afro-Argentines, Indians, and gauchos showed regrettable continuities with the colonial past."

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese and/or Spanish mulato (“of mixed breed, young mule”), from mulo (“mule”), from Latin mūlus (“mule”). Perhaps an allusion to the hybrid origin of mules. Doublet of mulato.

Origin

Source language: Spanish

Word Breakdown

Root: mulato, mūlus

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /mʊˈlɑtoʊ/
British English: /m(j)ʊˈlætəʊ/

Usage

Derogatory

Inflected Forms

mulattoes (plural) mulattos (plural)

Derived Forms

Jewlatto mulattoism

Phrases

half blood half-breed mixed-race red nigger

Frequently Paired Words

mulatta mulattress muleta brown browning Coloured half blood half-breed

Synonyms

mestizo metis

Rhymes With

motto sato yamato lovato d'amato vibrato mato mankato dato donato prato fortunato

Questions

How do you pronounce mulatto?: The recorded pronunciation is /mʊˈlɑtoʊ/.
What does mulatto mean?: A person of mixed black and white descent, especially a person with one black and one white parent or two mulatto parents.
Where does mulatto come from?: It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce mulatto

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