Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tiptoe

/ˈtɪpˌtoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables: tip-toe
IPA: /ˈtɪpˌtoʊ/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The tip of the toe.

adj

Standing elevated, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.

adj

Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.

verb

To walk quietly with only the tips of the toes touching the ground.

Intransitive verb

name

A small village in Hordle parish and Sway parish, New Forest district, Hampshire, England (OS grid ref SZ2597).

Example Sentences

"Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day / Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops."
"And ever as they talked Beregond was more amazed, and looked with greater wonder at the hobbit, swinging his short legs as he sat on the seat, or standing tiptoe upon it to peer over the sill at the lands below."
"with tiptoe step"
"And stole along on tiptoe tread"
"We went tip-toeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of the widow's garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn't scrape our heads."
"We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time."

Etymology

From Middle English tipto, typto; equivalent to tip + toe. Compare fingertip.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: tipto

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈtɪpˌtoʊ/
British English: /ˈtɪpˌtəʊ/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

tiptoes (plural) tip-toe (alternative) tippytoe (alternative) tippy-toe (alternative) tiptoes (present, singular) tiptoeing (participle, present) tiptoed (participle, past) tiptoed (past)

Derived Forms

atiptoe tiptoeingly tiptoer

Phrases

on tiptoe tiptoe around tiptoe through a minefield

Synonyms

tip tippytoe

Rhymes With

crypto

Questions

How do you pronounce tiptoe?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɪpˌtoʊ/.
What does tiptoe mean?: The tip of the toe.
Where does tiptoe come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce tiptoe

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