Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scale

/skeɪl/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.83 in modern English

Syllables
scale
IPA
/skeɪl/
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.

Obsolete

noun

An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement; means of assigning a magnitude.

noun

Size; scope.

noun

The ratio of depicted distance to actual distance.

noun

A line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced.

noun

A series of notes spanning an octave, tritave, or pseudo-octave, used to make melodies.

noun

A mathematical base for a numeral system; radix.

noun

Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English scale, from Latin scāla, usually in plural scālae (“a flight of steps, stairs, staircase, ladder”), for *skand-slā, from scandō (“to climb”); see scan, ascend, descend, etc. Doublet of scala.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: scale, scāla, escale, -, skala, *skalō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /skeɪl/
  • British English: /skeɪl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

scales (plural) scales (present, singular) scaling (participle, present) scaled (participle, past) scaled (past)

Derived Forms

broadscale counterscale eigenscale exascale femtoscale fieldscale gigascale grayscale greyscale gyroscale hyperscale logscale

Phrases

altered scale at scale diseconomies of scale economies of scale full-scale global-scale gray-scale Gunter's scale

Frequently Paired Words

degree ordinal variable cartographic ratio extent focus grain range resolution

Synonyms

descale scales plate shell weighing machine musical scale scurf exfoliation

Rhymes With

sale male full-scale mail they'll email jail fail detail trail rail tail

Questions

How do you pronounce scale?
The recorded pronunciation is /skeɪl/.
What does scale mean?
A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.
Where does scale come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scale

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