Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

stillborn

/ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.74 in modern English

Syllables: still-born
IPA: /ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

adj

Ignored, without influence, or unsuccessful from the outset; abortive.

noun

A baby that is born dead.

Example Sentences

"Queen Anne, before Elizabeth, bore a still-born son."
"1978, Holy Bible (New International Version), Job 3:16, Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?"
"This, gentlemen, is a list of the joint-stock companies created last year. . . . Of these some were stillborn, but the majority hold the market."
"His lips framed themselves to whistle the first bars of a popular song, but the sound died stillborn."
"About 35% of stillborns are discovered to have major structural anomalies by chromosomal studies and autopsy findings."

Etymology

From English still + born. First attested in 1597.

Origin

First known use: First attested in 1597

Inflected Forms

still-born (alternative) stillborns (plural)

Synonyms

deadborn unfruitful abortive unsuccessful

Antonyms

quickborn

Rhymes With

born first-born porn worn corn horn torn warn sworn borne thorn mourn

Questions

How do you pronounce stillborn?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/.
What does stillborn mean?: Dead at birth.
Where does stillborn come from?: First known use: First attested in 1597.

How to pronounce stillborn

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