Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

aurora borealis

/əˌɹɔːɹ.ə ˈbɔːɹ.i.æl.ɪs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English

Syllables: au-ro-ra -bo-re-alis
IPA: /əˌɹɔːɹ.ə ˈbɔːɹ.i.æl.ɪs/

16

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

6

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The aurora of the northern hemisphere.

Example Sentences

"Superintendent Chalmers: Yes, I should be— Good Lord what is happening in there!? Principal Skinner: Aurora borealis. Superintendent Chalmers: Uh— Aurora borealis, at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen? Principal Skinner: Yes. Superintendent Chalmers: May I see it? Principal Skinner: No."
"A common and beautiful side-effect of high solar activity is the Aurora Borealis - the northern lights that dance across Arctic skies."

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin aurōra boreālis (literally “northern dawn”).

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /əˌɹɔːɹ.ə ˈbɔːɹ.i.æl.ɪs/

Frequently Paired Words

aurora australis southern lights

Synonyms

northern dawn northern lights aurora septentrionalis

Questions

How do you pronounce aurora borealis?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˌɹɔːɹ.ə ˈbɔːɹ.i.æl.ɪs/.
What does aurora borealis mean?: The aurora of the northern hemisphere.
Where does aurora borealis come from?: Learned borrowing from New Latin aurōra boreālis (literally “northern dawn”).

How to pronounce aurora borealis

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