Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

semiotics

/ˌsɛm.iˈɑt.ɪks/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.49 in modern English

Syllables
semi-otics
IPA
/ˌsɛm.iˈɑt.ɪks/
13
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The study of signs and symbols, especially as means of language or communication.

Uncountable

noun

The study of medical signs and symptoms; symptomatology.

Dated; Uncountable

Etymology

Coined by John Locke from Ancient Greek σημειωτικός (sēmeiōtikós, “fitted for marking, portending”), from σημειόω (sēmeióō, “to mark, interpret as a portend”), from σημεῖον (sēmeîon, “a mark, sign, token”), from σῆμα (sêma, “mark, sign”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: σημειωτικός

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌsɛm.iˈɑt.ɪks/
  • British English: /ˌsɛm.iˈɒt.ɪks/

Usage

Derived Forms

anthroposemiotics biosemiotics endosemiotics exosemiotics phytosemiotics psychosemiotics sociosemiotics zoosemiotics

Phrases

sociological semiotics

Frequently Paired Words

semantic semantics semasiology sematic sematology seme sememe semiosis

Synonyms

semiology

Rhymes With

antibiotics robotics narcotics exotics astronautics hypnotics

Questions

How do you pronounce semiotics?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌsɛm.iˈɑt.ɪks/.
What does semiotics mean?
The study of signs and symbols, especially as means of language or communication.
Where does semiotics come from?
It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce semiotics

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