Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tanto

/ˈtɑntoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.60 in modern English

Syllables
tan-to
IPA
/ˈtɑntoʊ/
5
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A traditional Japanese small sword or knife; often used as a secondary weapon to a katana.

adv

So much; too much.

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 短刀 (tantō), from Middle Chinese 短刀 (twan^X taw, “dagger”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈtɑntoʊ/
  • British English: /ˈtæntəʊ/

Inflected Forms

tantos (plural) tantō (alternative) tantou (alternative)

Phrases

allegro non tanto non tanto pro tanto

Frequently Paired Words

pro tanto

Synonyms

tanto knife

Rhymes With

esperanto canto bel canto portmanteau panto manto lepanto manteau

Questions

How do you pronounce tanto?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɑntoʊ/.
What does tanto mean?
A traditional Japanese small sword or knife; often used as a secondary weapon to a katana.
Where does tanto come from?
It is traced to Japanese.

How to pronounce tanto

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