Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

contralto

/kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.16 in modern English

Syllables
con-tral-to
IPA
/kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.

Inflected Forms

contraltos (plural) contralti (plural)

Phrases

contratenor altus

Frequently Paired Words

contratenor altus alto tenor soprano mezzo-soprano countertenor baritone bass

Synonyms

alto

Rhymes With

alto

Questions

How do you pronounce contralto?
The recorded pronunciation is /kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/.
What does contralto mean?
The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody.
Where does contralto come from?
Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.

How to pronounce contralto

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