Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

otis

/ˈoʊtɪs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.41 in modern English

Syllables: otis
IPA: /ˈoʊtɪs/

4

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A surname transferred from the given name, notably of the American revolutionary hero James Otis and the innovator and industrialist Elisha Otis.

name

A male given name from the Germanic languages, transferred from the surname.

American usage

name

An Otis elevator.

Example Sentences

"[…] in a world of mandatory diminutives, a corporation of jolly Bills and Jacks and Herbs and Teds in which an unabbreviable given name like Earl must have been a minor handicap, "Oat" was the best that could be done for a man with the given name of Otis."

Etymology

A patronymic surname derived from Middle English genitive case of the Germanic given name Ote, Ode, cognate to modern Otto.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈoʊtɪs/
British English: /ˈəʊtɪs/

Usage

American usage

Derived Forms

Otisville

Homonyms

oatis

Rhymes With

notis oatis notice phthiotis

Questions

How do you pronounce otis?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈoʊtɪs/.
What does otis mean?: A surname transferred from the given name, notably of the American revolutionary hero James Otis and the innovator and industrialist Elisha Otis.
Where does otis come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce otis

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