Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

banshee

/bænˈʃiː/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.81 in modern English

Syllables
ban-shee
IPA
/bænˈʃiː/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A female spirit, usually taking the form of a woman whose mournful wailing warns of an impending death.

noun

A noisy or ill-tempered woman.

Derogatory

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). The term banshee entered English in 1771.

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

banshees (plural) banshie (alternative, archaic) benshee (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

bansheelike

Frequently Paired Words

sidhe

Synonyms

banshie

Rhymes With

be he we me she see three free de tv key sea

Questions

How do you pronounce banshee?
The recorded pronunciation is /bænˈʃiː/.
What does banshee mean?
A female spirit, usually taking the form of a woman whose mournful wailing warns of an impending death.
Where does banshee come from?
Borrowed from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). The term banshee entered English in 1771.

How to pronounce banshee

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