Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bifocals

/bˈaɪfoʊkəlz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.94 in modern English

Syllables: bi-fo-cals
IPA: /bˈaɪfoʊkəlz/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Spectacles that have corrective lenses of two different powers; used by people who need both distance and reading glasses.

Example Sentences

"He unfolded a pair of bifocals and thrust them as far up the bridge of his nose as possible."

Etymology

From bi- + focal (see focus), coined in 1824 by John Isaac Hawkins, inventor of trifocals. When the concept of bifocals was originally conceived by Benjamin Franklin, he called them double spectacles.

Derived Forms

bifocaled

Frequently Paired Words

bifocal multifocals trifocals

Questions

How do you pronounce bifocals?: The recorded pronunciation is /bˈaɪfoʊkəlz/.
What does bifocals mean?: Spectacles that have corrective lenses of two different powers; used by people who need both distance and reading glasses.
Where does bifocals come from?: From bi- + focal (see focus), coined in 1824 by John Isaac Hawkins, inventor of trifocals. When the concept of bifocals was originally conceived by Benjamin Franklin, he called them double spectacles.

How to pronounce bifocals

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bifocals”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/bˈaɪfoʊkəlz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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