Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

observatory

/əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.71 in modern English

Syllables
ob-ser-va-to-ry
IPA
/əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A place where stars, planets and other celestial bodies are observed, usually through a telescope; also place for observing meteorological or other natural phenomena.

noun

A lookout (vantage point with a view of the surrounding area)

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from French observatoire, equivalent to observe + -atory.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/
  • British English: /əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Astronomy.

Inflected Forms

observatories (plural)

Synonyms

observatorium lookout observation tower lookout station

Questions

How do you pronounce observatory?
The recorded pronunciation is /əbˈzɜːvət(ə)ɹi/.
What does observatory mean?
A place where stars, planets and other celestial bodies are observed, usually through a telescope; also place for observing meteorological or other natural phenomena.
Where does observatory come from?
Borrowed from French observatoire, equivalent to observe + -atory.

How to pronounce observatory

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