Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

damsel in distress

/ˈdæm.zəl ɪn dɪˈstɹɛs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English

Syllables
damsel in dis-tress
IPA
/ˈdæm.zəl ɪn dɪˈstɹɛs/
20
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A young woman perceived as being helpless in a dangerous situation and requiring rescue.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Calque of French demoiselle en détresse, from the classic theme in many dramatic forms.

Inflected Forms

damsels in distress (plural)

Derived Forms

didcap

Questions

How do you pronounce damsel in distress?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdæm.zəl ɪn dɪˈstɹɛs/.
What does damsel in distress mean?
A young woman perceived as being helpless in a dangerous situation and requiring rescue.
Where does damsel in distress come from?
Calque of French demoiselle en détresse, from the classic theme in many dramatic forms.

How to pronounce damsel in distress

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