Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

redskin

/ˈɹɛdˌskɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.22 in modern English

Syllables
red-skin
IPA
/ˈɹɛdˌskɪn/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Native American.

Offensive

noun

An anticapitalist skinhead.

noun

Alternative form of redskin (uncommon)

Example Sentences

Etymology

From red + skin. References to indigenous Americans' skin being red can be found from the 1580s, although not consistently (another European in 1584 described indigenous Americans as "yellowish"); in some cases the reference may be not to their skin color per se but to their painting themselves with red paint. A letter ostensibly from 1699, which was formerly cited as the earliest reference to "red skins", was not published until 1900 and is now recognized as fake. The earliest documented instance of the term "redskin" is from a 1769 discussion between the Piankeshaw and John Wilkins, this and other early uses appear to be translating terms meaning red + skin, flesh, or people that the tribes of the Illinois / Mississippi Valley area used to refer to themselves when communicating with the French (who translated such terms as French peau-rouge) and with English-speakers (whence redskin). Piecewise doublet of Rauðskinna.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɹɛdˌskɪn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

redskins (plural)

Phrases

Washington Redskins redskin onion Red Indian

Frequently Paired Words

redskinned redskin onion Red Indian

Synonyms

red man Native American injun

Questions

How do you pronounce redskin?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹɛdˌskɪn/.
What does redskin mean?
A Native American.
Where does redskin come from?
From red + skin. References to indigenous Americans' skin being red can be found from the 1580s, although not consistently (another European in 1584 described indigenous Americans as "yellowish"); in some cases the reference may be not to their skin color per se but to their painting themselves with red paint. A letter ostensibly from 1699, which was formerly cited as the earliest reference to "red skins", was not published until 1900 and is now recognized as fake. The earliest documented instance of the term "redskin" is from a 1769 discussion between the Piankeshaw and John Wilkins, this and other early uses appear to be translating terms meaning red + skin, flesh, or people that the tribes of the Illinois / Mississippi Valley area used to refer to themselves when communicating with the French (who translated such terms as French peau-rouge) and with English-speakers (whence redskin). Piecewise doublet of Rauðskinna.

How to pronounce redskin

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