Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

brownface

/ˈbɹaʊnˌfeɪs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.37 in modern English

Syllables
brown-face
IPA
/ˈbɹaʊnˌfeɪs/
19
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A style of theatrical makeup in which a white person colours the face brown in order to represent somebody of another race.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From brown + face, based on earlier blackface.

Usage

Frequently Paired Words

blackface redface transface whiteface womanface yellowface

Questions

How do you pronounce brownface?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɹaʊnˌfeɪs/.
What does brownface mean?
A style of theatrical makeup in which a white person colours the face brown in order to represent somebody of another race.
Where does brownface come from?
From brown + face, based on earlier blackface.

How to pronounce brownface

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