Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sleepless

/ˈsliːpləs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.18 in modern English

Syllables: sleep-less
IPA: /ˈsliːpləs/

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Characterized by an absence of sleep: wakeful.

Example Sentences

"I spent a sleepless night worrying about the exams."

Etymology

From Middle English slepeles, from Old English slǣplēas; equivalent to sleep + -less.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: slepeles, slǣplēas
Suffix: sleep

Inflected Forms

more sleepless (comparative) most sleepless (superlative)

Derived Forms

sleeplessly sleeplessness

Synonyms

lidless insomniac watchful

Antonyms

wakeless

Questions

How do you pronounce sleepless?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsliːpləs/.
What does sleepless mean?: Characterized by an absence of sleep: wakeful.
Where does sleepless come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sleepless

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