Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

arpeggio

/ɑɹˈpɛ.d͡ʒi.oʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.08 in modern English

Syllables: arpeg-gio
IPA: /ɑɹˈpɛ.d͡ʒi.oʊ/

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The notes of a chord played individually instead of simultaneously, usually moving from lowest to highest.

verb

To play (a chord) as an arpeggio; to play (a piece of music) with arpeggios.

Transitive verb

verb

To produce arpeggios; to produce sounds resembling arpeggios.

Intransitive verb

verb

To move (the hand or fingers) against a surface as if playing arpeggios on a keyboard; to touch different points in succession along a surface.

Example Sentences

"He struck the opening chords of the passage; but this time Irene's voice was silent. Victor stopped in the middle of an arpeggio."
"1819, Abraham Rees (ed.), The Cyclopædia, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Volume 14, entry “Fingering on Keyed Instruments,” In practising quick passages, the fingers should be lifted up with a spring, and not allowed to hang on the keys, till wanted again, unless in arpeggioing chords, or in passages of expression."
"[…] I could see a man with his head buried forward towards a key-board, and his body swaying from side to side amid the storm of huge arpeggioed harmonies that came crashing overhead and round."
"[…] having finished her piano-forte practice, touched her harp twice, and arpeggioed the Spanish Fandango on her guitar, Miss Betty read two paragraphs of “Gilbert” […]"
"When his fingers touched the piano, he formed a D7 chord, arpeggioed it up the inversions, then started singing and playing the “Happy Birthday” song."
"Herr Schlitz seated himself on the piano chair, pushed it a little back, drew it a little forward to the original place, looked under the piano at the pedals, took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and hands, and after arpeggioing up and down the keyboard, swung into a waltz of Chopin’s […]"

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian arpeggio, from arpeggiare (“to play a harp”).

Origin

Source language: Italian

Word Breakdown

Root: arpeggio

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɑɹˈpɛ.d͡ʒi.oʊ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

arpeggios (plural) arpeggi (plural) arpeggios (present, singular) arpeggioing (participle, present) arpeggioed (participle, past) arpeggioed (past)

Phrases

broken chord

Frequently Paired Words

broken chord

Synonyms

arpeggiate

Questions

How do you pronounce arpeggio?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɑɹˈpɛ.d͡ʒi.oʊ/.
What does arpeggio mean?: The notes of a chord played individually instead of simultaneously, usually moving from lowest to highest.
Where does arpeggio come from?: It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce arpeggio

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