Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

biwa

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.83 in modern English

Syllables: bi-wa
IPA

9

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A plucked lute, originating in the classical and traditional music of Japan, characterized by a pear-shaped body and four or five high frets, giving the instrument a distinctively twangy tone.

name

A town in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

name

A lake in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Etymology

Borrowing from Japanese 琵琶 (biwa). Doublet of bipa and pipa.

Origin

Source language: Japanese

Word Breakdown

Root: 琵琶

Inflected Forms

biwas (plural)

Phrases

Biwa trout

Synonyms

Lake Biwa

Questions

What does biwa mean?: A plucked lute, originating in the classical and traditional music of Japan, characterized by a pear-shaped body and four or five high frets, giving the instrument a distinctively twangy tone.
Where does biwa come from?: It is traced to Japanese.

How to pronounce biwa

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