Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

common-law marriage

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.66 in modern English

Syllables
com-mon-law -mar-riage
IPA
29
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
5
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A state of marriage, or legal recognition similar to that of marriage, enjoyed by a couple who have not undergone an official marriage ceremony, but instead based on the duration of cohabitation or other practical characteristics of the relationship.

Countable; Uncountable

Usage

Inflected Forms

common-law marriages (plural)

Phrases

common law common-law live in sin

Frequently Paired Words

common law common-law live in sin

Synonyms

informal marriage marriage by habit and repute mop marriage

Questions

What does common-law marriage mean?
A state of marriage, or legal recognition similar to that of marriage, enjoyed by a couple who have not undergone an official marriage ceremony, but instead based on the duration of cohabitation or other practical characteristics of the relationship.

How to pronounce common-law marriage

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