Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

foremother

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: fore-moth-er
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A female ancestor.

noun

A female predecessor, especially one of an earlier generation.

Example Sentences

"“My strain has remained clearer than the rest because for countless ages my foremothers were high priestesses—the sacred office descends from mother to daughter.”"
"This compelling narrative [The Other Sappho by Ellen Fry] is a historical romance, a colorful tapestry of a time gone by in which the author has endeavored to share her version of the lives of women-identified women who were our foremothers."

Etymology

From fore- + mother.

Word Breakdown

Prefix: fore

Inflected Forms

foremothers (plural)

Phrases

great great great grandmother

Frequently Paired Words

great great great grandmother

Questions

What does foremother mean?: A female ancestor.
Where does foremother come from?: From fore- + mother.

How to pronounce foremother

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “foremother”.
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 “foremother”.
Repeat and practice — Say “foremother” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.