Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

falsetto

/fɔlˈsɛt.oʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.69 in modern English

Syllables: fal-set-to
IPA: /fɔlˈsɛt.oʊ/

11

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The "false" (singing) voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by using the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing. It is commonly confused with the head voice register.

Uncountable

noun

A person who sings in falsetto.

Countable

verb

To sing or utter in falsetto.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian falsetto, from falso (“false”).

Origin

Source language: Italian

Word Breakdown

Root: falsetto

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /fɔlˈsɛt.oʊ/
British English: /fɔːlˈsɛt.əʊ/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Music.

Inflected Forms

falsettos (plural) falsettos (present, singular) falsettoing (participle, present) falsettoed (participle, past) falsettoed (past)

Rhymes With

stretto peveto diloreto ghetto stiletto palmetto libretto amaretto cornetto lazaretto in petto duetto

Questions

How do you pronounce falsetto?: The recorded pronunciation is /fɔlˈsɛt.oʊ/.
What does falsetto mean?: The "false" (singing) voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by using the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing. It is commonly confused with the head voice register.
Where does falsetto come from?: It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce falsetto

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