Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

plagal

/ˈpleɪɡəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.58 in modern English

Syllables: pla-gal
IPA: /ˈpleɪɡəl/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Designating a mode lying a perfect fourth below the authentic form.

adj

Designating a cadence in which the subdominant chord precedes the tonic.

Example Sentences

"[…] [Carol] King uses the plagal coda as affirmation in “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, the 1967 anthem to liberated female sexuality that King co-wrote with [Gerry] Goffin for Aretha Franklin."

Etymology

From Late Latin plagalis, from plaga, from plagius, from Byzantine Ancient Greek πλάγιος (plágios, “plagal”), πλάγιος (plágios, “oblique”).

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: πλάγιος

Inflected Forms

more plagal (comparative) most plagal (superlative)

Derived Forms

plagally

Phrases

plagal cadence

Antonyms

authentic

Rhymes With

bagel vagal finagle inveigle tragal

Questions

How do you pronounce plagal?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpleɪɡəl/.
What does plagal mean?: Designating a mode lying a perfect fourth below the authentic form.
Where does plagal come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce plagal

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