Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

capital punishment

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.26 in modern English

Syllables
cap-i-tal pun-ish-ment
IPA
28
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
5
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The practice of putting a person to death as a punishment for a crime.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

From the original meaning of capital (“relating to the head”); originally referring to executions by beheading or decapitating.

Usage

Inflected Forms

capital punishments (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

execute execution

Synonyms

death penalty execution executing

Questions

What does capital punishment mean?
The practice of putting a person to death as a punishment for a crime.
Where does capital punishment come from?
From the original meaning of capital (“relating to the head”); originally referring to executions by beheading or decapitating.

How to pronounce capital punishment

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