Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

railcar

/ˈɹeɪlˌkɑɹ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.20 in modern English

Syllables: rail-car
IPA: /ˈɹeɪlˌkɑɹ/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.

noun

A powered single railway vehicle designed for passenger transport, with a driver's cab in both ends; Not to be confused with motor coach/motorcar, which is a powered railway vehicle capable to haul a train.

noun

Any unpowered railway vehicle.

Canadian usage; American usage

Example Sentences

"The semi-streamlined contour of the earlier G.W.R. railcars has been given up in favour of a more utilitarian blunt-nose end, and effective floor space gained thereby."
"Profitable operation is being made possible by the widespread introduction of capacious diesel railcars, which for their comfort and speed are very popular with the travelling public."

Etymology

From rail + car.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɹeɪlˌkɑɹ/

Usage

Canadian usage
American usage

Inflected Forms

railcars (plural)

Derived Forms

railcarful

Synonyms

railbus railroad car car railway car

Questions

How do you pronounce railcar?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹeɪlˌkɑɹ/.
What does railcar mean?: A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.
Where does railcar come from?: From rail + car.

How to pronounce railcar

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