Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bel canto

/ˌbɛlˈkæntəʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English

Syllables: bel -can-to
IPA: /ˌbɛlˈkæntəʊ/

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An elegant style of singing characterized by beautiful tone and an effortless technique.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"'Slender' West Lake lies on the western outskirts of Yangzhou. In the early years of the Manchu Emperor Kangxi, the area beside the lake, known as the Alley of Chiming Jade, was famed for its high concentration of houses of pleasure, and for the beauty of its singsong-girls (whose skills extended to a great deal more than bel canto)."
"Bel canto, or the art of beautiful singing, in 17th- and 18th-century Italy cultivated embellishment through ornaments such as cadenzas, scales, and trills which declined as the size, power, and volume of the orchestra increased."

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian bel canto (literally “beautiful singing”).

Origin

Source language: Italian

Word Breakdown

Root: belcanto

Usage

Uncountable

Rhymes With

canto esperanto tanto portmanteau panto manto lepanto manteau

Questions

How do you pronounce bel canto?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɛlˈkæntəʊ/.
What does bel canto mean?: An elegant style of singing characterized by beautiful tone and an effortless technique.
Where does bel canto come from?: It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce bel canto

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