Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alumnus

/əˈlʌmnəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.91 in modern English

Syllables: alum-nus
IPA: /əˈlʌmnəs/

9

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A male pupil or student.

noun

A male graduate.

noun

A student of any gender.

noun

A graduate of any gender.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-o-mh₁no- Proto-Italic *alomanos Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-mno- Latin alumnuslbor. English alumnus Learned borrowing from Latin alumnus (“foster child, nourished one”).

Word Breakdown

Root: *h₂el- (grow)

Inflected Forms

alumni (plural) alumnuses (plural)

Phrases

alumni association alma mater

Frequently Paired Words

alumnae alumnæ alum alma mater alimony alimentary alumna

Synonyms

alum alumn alumni alumnx

Rhymes With

numbness

Questions

How do you pronounce alumnus?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˈlʌmnəs/.
What does alumnus mean?: A male pupil or student.
Where does alumnus come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-o-mh₁no- Proto-Italic *alomanos Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-mno- Latin alumnuslbor. English alumnus Learned borrowing from Latin alumnus (“foster child, nourished one”).

How to pronounce alumnus

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “alumnus”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əˈlʌmnəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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