Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bookshelf

/ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.92 in modern English

Syllables: book-shelf
IPA: /ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/

21

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A shelf or shelves for storing books for easy visual reference.

Example Sentences

"Another, with the bump of order unnaturally developed, had his folios and quartos all reduced, in binding, to one size, so that they might look even on his bookshelves."

Etymology

From book + shelf.

Inflected Forms

bookshelves (plural)

Derived Forms

bookshelve bookshelved bookshelver bookshelving

Phrases

bookshelf wealth

Frequently Paired Words

bookcase bookend

Questions

How do you pronounce bookshelf?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf/.
What does bookshelf mean?: A shelf or shelves for storing books for easy visual reference.
Where does bookshelf come from?: From book + shelf.

How to pronounce bookshelf

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