Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

deaconess

/ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.35 in modern English

Syllables
dea-coness
IPA
/ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/
12
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A non-clerical role for women in some churches.

noun

A female deacon.

noun

A female servant in the early Christian church.

noun

The nun in charge of the altar in a convent.

noun

One of an order of women in some Protestant churches who nurse the sick and tend the poor.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon + -ess.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/
  • British English: /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/

Inflected Forms

deaconesses (plural)

Derived Forms

subdeaconess

Phrases

deaconess house deaconess-house

Frequently Paired Words

deaconry deaconship diaconal diaconate deacon

Questions

How do you pronounce deaconess?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/.
What does deaconess mean?
A non-clerical role for women in some churches.
Where does deaconess come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce deaconess

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