Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shem

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.74 in modern English

Syllables: shem
IPA

9

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The oldest son of Noah, brother to Ham and Japheth.

name

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.

Example Sentences

"And the sonnes of Noah that went forth of the Arke, were Shem, and Ham, and Iaphet: and Ham is the father of Canaan."

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Σήμ (Sḗm), from Hebrew שם (Šēm).

Derived Forms

Shemite

Frequently Paired Words

Semite Semitic

Questions

What does shem mean?: The oldest son of Noah, brother to Ham and Japheth.
Where does shem come from?: From Ancient Greek Σήμ (Sḗm), from Hebrew שם (Šēm).

How to pronounce shem

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