Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gentleness

/ˈd͡ʒɛntl̩nəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.77 in modern English

Syllables: gen-tle-ness
IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛntl̩nəs/

11

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being gentle.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[S]he [Sabrina, a water nymph] reviv'd, / And undervvent a quicke, immortall change / Made goddeſſe of the river; ſtill ſhe retaines / Her maiden gentleneſſe, […]"
"Willie spends his bus money home playing a song to dance to on the jukebox in an effort to comfort Sam, and unlike Hally, who struck out at his old friend when his life began to go wrong, Sam does not pass down Hally's hatefulness, but instead treats Willie with the same gentleness he has shown toward him throughout the play."

Etymology

From Middle English gentilnesse; equivalent to gentle + -ness.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: gentilnesse

Usage

Inflected Forms

gentlenesses (plural)

Synonyms

douceur sweetness softness mildness gradualness

Questions

How do you pronounce gentleness?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛntl̩nəs/.
What does gentleness mean?: The state of being gentle.
Where does gentleness come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce gentleness

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