Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cataclysm

/ˈkætəˌklɪzm̩/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables
cat-a-clysm
IPA
/ˈkætəˌklɪzm̩/
18
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A sudden, violent event.

noun

A sudden and violent change in the earth's crust.

noun

A great flood.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French cataclysme, from Latin cataclysmus, from Ancient Greek κατακλυσμός (kataklusmós, “deluge, flood”), from κατακλύζω (kataklúzō, “to dash over, flood, deluge, inundate”), from κατά (katá, “downwards, towards”) + κλύζω (klúzō, “to wash off, to wash away, to dash over”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: cataclysme, cataclysmus, κατακλυσμός

Inflected Forms

cataclysms (plural)

Derived Forms

cataclysmal cataclysmic cataclysmist

Phrases

lunar cataclysm

Frequently Paired Words

catastrophe

Synonyms

calamity catastrophe disaster tragedy

Questions

How do you pronounce cataclysm?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkætəˌklɪzm̩/.
What does cataclysm mean?
A sudden, violent event.
Where does cataclysm come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce cataclysm

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