Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

breathtaking

/ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.60 in modern English

Syllables: breath-tak-ing
IPA: /ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

22

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

stunningly beautiful; amazing

adj

Very surprising or shocking; to such a degree as to cause astonishment.

Example Sentences

"He went to the Grand Canyon and spent a week taking in the breathtaking scenery all around him."
"One day this old gentleman took me for a tour of the incomparable snowscapes in Chung Nan Hai Park.* Arrayed along the eastern shore of Chung Nan Lake stood a row of linked pavilions that seemed to be floating on the surface of the water. That day, strands of snowflakes sparkled like gems where they had collected between the humps of the enameled roof tiles. The breathtaking beauty of this vista made my soul turn somersaults."
"breathtaking stupidity or rudeness"
"The network was established with breathtaking speed in the 1840s, when more than 250,000 navvies were furiously building our railways."

Etymology

From breath + taking.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

more breathtaking (comparative) most breathtaking (superlative)

Derived Forms

breathtakingly breathtakingness

Synonyms

breathless

Questions

How do you pronounce breathtaking?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɹɛθˌteɪ.kɪŋ/.
What does breathtaking mean?: stunningly beautiful; amazing
Where does breathtaking come from?: From breath + taking.

How to pronounce breathtaking

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