Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bifocal

/bˈaɪfoʊkəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.71 in modern English

Syllables: bi-fo-cal
IPA: /bˈaɪfoʊkəl/

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having two focal lengths.

adj

Divided into two parts, one of which corrects for distance vision and the other for near vision.

Example Sentences

"His hair is black and well greased, with individual strands of gray, and he wears wire-rimmed bifocals with a subtle brownish tint."

Etymology

By surface analysis, bi- + focal, or, by surface analysis, bi- + foc(us) + -al.

Derived Forms

bifocality

Frequently Paired Words

bifocals trifocals confocal unifocal trifocal quadrifocal

Questions

How do you pronounce bifocal?: The recorded pronunciation is /bˈaɪfoʊkəl/.
What does bifocal mean?: Having two focal lengths.
Where does bifocal come from?: By surface analysis, bi- + focal, or, by surface analysis, bi- + foc(us) + -al.

How to pronounce bifocal

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