Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

esk

/ɛsk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.39 in modern English

Syllables
esk
IPA
/ɛsk/
7
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A locality in the Clarence Valley council area and the Richmond Valley council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.

name

A river in North Yorkshire, England that flows through Eskdale to Whitby.

name

A river in Cumbria, England, which also flows through Eskdale, and into the Irish Sea.

name

A river in Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland, which crosses the border into Cumbria, England, before flowing into Solway Firth.

name

A river mostly in East Lothian council area, Scotland, its branches North Esk and South Esk are in Midlothian.

Etymology

Possibly derived from Proto-Brythonic *Uɨsk, a river name perhaps originally meaning "abundant in fish". Cognate to the river names Axe, Exe, and Usk. Another possibility, suggested for the North and South Esk, is derivation from a Brythonic/Celtic word for water; compare Scottish Gaelic uisge (“water, river”).

Word Breakdown

Derived Forms

Eskbank Eskdale Inveresk

Phrases

North Esk South Esk Upper Esk

Homonyms

-esque

Rhymes With

desk grotesque kafkaesque lesk michelangelesque blottesque daliesque caravaggesque goblinesque

Questions

How do you pronounce esk?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɛsk/.
What does esk mean?
A locality in the Clarence Valley council area and the Richmond Valley council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.
Where does esk come from?
Possibly derived from Proto-Brythonic *Uɨsk, a river name perhaps originally meaning "abundant in fish". Cognate to the river names Axe, Exe, and Usk. Another possibility, suggested for the North and South Esk, is derivation from a Brythonic/Celtic word for water; compare Scottish Gaelic uisge (“water, river”).

How to pronounce esk

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