Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ankus

/ˈaŋ.kəs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ankus
IPA: /ˈaŋ.kəs/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The hooked goad that is used in India to control elephants.

Example Sentences

"At last he found something really fascinating laid on the front of a howdah half buried in the coins. It was a three-foot ankus, or elephant-goad—something like a small boathook. The top was one round, shining ruby, and eight inches of the handle below it were studded with rough turquoises close together, giving a most satisfactory grip."
"He reached for the ivory handle of his ankus and turned to the stripling."

Etymology

From Hindi अंकुस (aṅkus)/अंकुश (aṅkuś), from Sanskrit अङ्कुश (aṅkuśa).

Origin

Source language: Hindi

Word Breakdown

Root: अञ्च्, अंकुस, अङ्कुश

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈaŋ.kəs/

Inflected Forms

ankuses (plural) ankhus (alternative) ankush (alternative) ankusha (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce ankus?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈaŋ.kəs/.
What does ankus mean?: The hooked goad that is used in India to control elephants.
Where does ankus come from?: It is traced to Hindi.

How to pronounce ankus

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