Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dilemma

/daɪˈlɛmə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.73 in modern English

Syllables
dilem-ma
IPA
/daɪˈlɛmə/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.

noun

Any difficult circumstance or problem.

noun

A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true; if C is true then D is true; either A or C is true; therefore either B or D is true".

noun

Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

Example Sentences

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, “ambiguous proposition”), from δι- (di-, “having two of”) + λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, proposition”), equivalent to di- + lemma.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: dilemma, δίλημμα

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /daɪˈlɛmə/
  • British English: /daɪˈlɛmə/

Inflected Forms

dilemmas (plural) dilemmata (plural)

Derived Forms

dilemmalike dilemmanade dilemmatic dilemmaticity dilemmic

Phrases

agency dilemma centipede's dilemma Euthyphro dilemma false dilemma Faustian dilemma Goldman's dilemma gunfighter's dilemma Heinz dilemma

Frequently Paired Words

lemma trilemma tetralemma pentalemma polylemma between a rock and a hard place between the devil and the deep blue sea between Scylla and Charybdis

Synonyms

bind fix pickle problem quandary ass in a sling bucket of syrup calvary cauldron cross cross to bear difficulty

Rhymes With

emma gemma lemme lemma miedema zuidema medema mellema postema bultema on the horns of a dilemma pip emma

Questions

How do you pronounce dilemma?
The recorded pronunciation is /daɪˈlɛmə/.
What does dilemma mean?
A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
Where does dilemma come from?
It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce dilemma

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