Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

calypso

/kəˈlɪp.soʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.86 in modern English

Syllables
ca-lyp-so
IPA
/kəˈlɪp.soʊ/
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A song in this style of music.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To perform calypso.

Intransitive verb

noun

A bulbous bog orchid of the genus Calypso, Calypso bulbosa

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A light blue color.

Countable; Uncountable

name

A sea nymph who entertained Odysseus on her island, Ogygia, for seven years.

name

The eighth moon of Saturn.

name

53 Kalypso, a main belt asteroid; not to be confused with the Saturnian moon mentioned above.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Originally Trinidad English, an alteration of kaiso, perhaps ultimately of African origin; Allsopp 1996 suggests Ibibio ka iso (“come on”), used to urge dancers on. The spelling reflects a later folk-etymological assimilation with the mythological name Calypso.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /kəˈlɪp.soʊ/
  • British English: /kəˈlɪp.səʊ/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Music.

Inflected Forms

calypsos (plural) calypsoes (plural) calypsos (present, singular) calypsoing (participle, present) calypsoed (participle, past) calypsoed (past)

Derived Forms

buffalypso calypsolike calypsonian gospelypso rapso soca

Phrases

cadence-lypso calypso coffee calypso-like

Frequently Paired Words

kaiso

Synonyms

fairy-slipper calypso bulbosa

Rhymes With

dipso

Questions

How do you pronounce calypso?
The recorded pronunciation is /kəˈlɪp.soʊ/.
What does calypso mean?
A style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century.
Where does calypso come from?
It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce calypso

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