Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

soprano

/səˈpɹænoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.31 in modern English

Syllables: so-pra-no
IPA: /səˈpɹænoʊ/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The musical part higher in pitch than alto, typically encompassing the range of the treble clef.

noun

A person or instrument that performs the soprano part.

verb

To sing or utter with high pitch.

name

A surname from Italian.

Example Sentences

"boy soprano"
"soprano saxophone"
"I was only once faced with the task of auditioning a nimiety of sopranos."
""Sure they ain't done me no harm," sopranoed the woman."
"Fictional male antiheroes like television’s crime patriarchs Tony Soprano and Walter White have reigned for some time, but the antiheroine has only more recently had the opportunity to rise up – and become the cause of her own downfall."

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superānus, adjective from preposition Latin super (“above”). Doublet of sovereign, from the same Latin root via Old French.

Origin

Source language: Italian

Word Breakdown

Root: soprano, *superānus, super

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /səˈpɹænoʊ/

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Music.

Inflected Forms

sopranos (plural) soprani (plural) sopranoes (plural) sopranos (present, singular) sopranoing (participle, present) sopranoed (participle, past) sopranoed (past)

Derived Forms

sopranino sopranist sopranoist sopranoless sopranolike

Phrases

coloratura soprano dramatic soprano lyric soprano mezzo-soprano operatic soprano singing soprano sing soprano soprano clarinet

Frequently Paired Words

mezzo-soprano contralto countertenor tenor baritone bass SATB

Synonyms

sop treble

Rhymes With

nano milano kano luciano mano chicano delano serrano solano americano napolitano soriano

Questions

How do you pronounce soprano?: The recorded pronunciation is /səˈpɹænoʊ/.
What does soprano mean?: The musical part higher in pitch than alto, typically encompassing the range of the treble clef.
Where does soprano come from?: It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce soprano

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