Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

circum-

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.87 in modern English

Syllables
cir-cum-
IPA
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

prefix

around, surrounding

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Latin circum Latin circum-bor. English circum- Borrowed from Latin circum-, from circum, from circus. See also circle and circus.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Frequently Paired Words

circumcise circumcision circumference circa

Synonyms

peri- para-

Questions

What does circum- mean?
around, surrounding
Where does circum- come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce circum-

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “circum-”.
  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 “circum-”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “circum-” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.