Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

elegy

/ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English

Syllables
el-e-gy
IPA
/ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation.

noun

A composition of mournful character.

noun

A classical poem written in elegiac meter

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle French elegie, from Latin elegīa, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐλεγείᾱ (elegeíā), ellipsis of ἐλεγείᾱ ᾠδή (elegeíā ōidḗ, “an elegiac song”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: elegie, elegīa, ἐλεγείᾱ

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/
  • British English: /ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/

Inflected Forms

elegies (plural)

Derived Forms

elegiac elegiast elegiographer elegist elegize

Frequently Paired Words

jeremiad poem but with more emphasis on bitterness and impending doom requiem

Synonyms

monody. See dirge lament

Questions

How do you pronounce elegy?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/.
What does elegy mean?
A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation.
Where does elegy come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce elegy

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