Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

perplexity

/pəɹˈplɛksəti/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.14 in modern English

Syllables: per-plex-i-ty
IPA: /pəɹˈplɛksəti/

24

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state or quality of being perplexed.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Something that perplexes.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A measure of the accuracy with which a probability distribution or model predicts a sample.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"There is no such thing as 'chance', which term only signifies the mind's perplexity in the face of events that spring from multiple causes."
"The Emperor, who was by then a focus of unresolvable perplexities, stood providing a strongly contrary appearance."

Etymology

From Middle English perplexite, borrowed from Middle French perplexité or post-classical Latin perplexitās, from perplexus (“entangled”). By surface analysis, perplex + -ity.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: perplexite, perplexité, perplexitās

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pəɹˈplɛksəti/
British English: /pəˈplɛksɪti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

perplexities (plural)

Synonyms

puzzlement bewilderment confusion

Rhymes With

complexity

Questions

How do you pronounce perplexity?: The recorded pronunciation is /pəɹˈplɛksəti/.
What does perplexity mean?: The state or quality of being perplexed.
Where does perplexity come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce perplexity

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