Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

muskrat

/ˈmʌskɹæt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.41 in modern English

Syllables: muskrat
IPA: /ˈmʌskɹæt/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A semiaquatic rodent of the tribe Ondatrini.

noun

Any of several shrews in the family Soricidae, especially an Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus).

noun

A bandicoot rat.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod, Chapter IX. "The Sea and the Desert", page 187. He also said that minks, muskrats, foxes, coons, and wild mice were found there, but no squirrels."
"Later, dozing in the lamplight, he saw muskrats everywhere. Their small supple forms slipped busily along the floor at dusk, continually perfecting their burrows. He saw them pulling soft weeds and holding juicy roots in their tiny paws to eat."

Etymology

Perhaps so called for its musky odour and because it resembles a rat, or perhaps called by an Algonquian name like the Abenaki moskwas, with the spelling altered under the influence of the English words musk and rat.

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

muskrats (plural) musk-rat (alternative)

Derived Forms

muskratty

Phrases

Louisiana muskrat muskrat root muskrat weed round-tailed muskrat

Synonyms

musquash ondatra 'rat rat Asian house shrew musk shrew ondatra zibethica muskrat fur

Questions

How do you pronounce muskrat?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmʌskɹæt/.
What does muskrat mean?: A semiaquatic rodent of the tribe Ondatrini.
Where does muskrat come from?: Perhaps so called for its musky odour and because it resembles a rat, or perhaps called by an Algonquian name like the Abenaki moskwas, with the spelling altered under the influence of the English words musk and rat.

How to pronounce muskrat

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