Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

menarche

/ˈmɛˌnɑɹ.ki/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.86 in modern English

Syllables: menar-che
IPA: /ˈmɛˌnɑɹ.ki/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The onset of menstruation; a girl's first period.

Example Sentences

"How old is she? Nine? Ten? The menarche is not far off – a hint of a bosom, poor child."
"The most potent and indeed dangerous of all menstrual blood was the menarche, the first day's flow of the first menstruation of a virgin girl."
"Initiation is imagined, but the initiate is not the young girl in menarche, about to be wed to the moon, but a young man about to become a great hunter."

Etymology

First attested 1900, from German Menarche, formed from meno- + -arche.

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: Menarche

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmɛˌnɑɹ.ki/
British English: /mɛˈnɑː.ki/

Inflected Forms

menarches (plural)

Derived Forms

menarchal menarcheal menarched menarchial menarchic postmenarche

Frequently Paired Words

spermarche thelarche

Synonyms

menophania

Antonyms

menopause

Questions

How do you pronounce menarche?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmɛˌnɑɹ.ki/.
What does menarche mean?: The onset of menstruation; a girl's first period.
Where does menarche come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce menarche

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