Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clerestory

/ˈklɪəɹ.stɔːɹi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.00 in modern English

Syllables: clere-stor-y
IPA: /ˈklɪəɹ.stɔːɹi/

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The upper part of a wall containing windows to let in natural light to a building, especially in the nave, transept and choir of a church or cathedral.

Example Sentences

"Following these signs, he beheld three or four men with bent bows, leaning from the clerestory gallery."
"On the Visby-Västerhejde Railway there is a steam car. [...] The upperworks consist of a short clerestory coach body with end platforms and the engine chimney protruding from the roof like a stovepipe."
"The cars built before 1913 had clerestory roofs, after the American style, and also were provided with gates and end vestibule platforms requiring gatemen."

Etymology

From Middle English clerestory, from clere (“clear: light, lighted”) + story (“storey/story: level of a building”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: clerestory

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈklɪəɹ.stɔːɹi/

Inflected Forms

clerestories (plural) clearstory (alternative) clerstory (alternative)

Derived Forms

clerestoried

Frequently Paired Words

triforium

Synonyms

clearstory

Questions

How do you pronounce clerestory?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈklɪəɹ.stɔːɹi/.
What does clerestory mean?: The upper part of a wall containing windows to let in natural light to a building, especially in the nave, transept and choir of a church or cathedral.
Where does clerestory come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce clerestory

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