Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

familiar stranger

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.11 in modern English

Syllables: fa-mil-iar s-tranger
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A stranger who is nonetheless recognized by another from regularly sharing a common physical space such as a street or bus stop, but with whom one does not interact.

Example Sentences

"The familiar stranger is someone we meet every morning at the bus stop or at the campus, but we have never talked with."

Etymology

Coined by American social psychologist Stanley Milgram in 1972.

Inflected Forms

familiar strangers (plural)

Questions

What does familiar stranger mean?: A stranger who is nonetheless recognized by another from regularly sharing a common physical space such as a street or bus stop, but with whom one does not interact.
Where does familiar stranger come from?: Coined by American social psychologist Stanley Milgram in 1972.

How to pronounce familiar stranger

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