Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

foretell

[foːˈteɫ]

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.31 in modern English

Syllables: fore-tell
IPA: [foːˈteɫ]

11

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To predict; to tell (the future) before it occurs; to prophesy.

verb

To tell (a person) of the future.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Deeds then undone me faithful tongue foretold."
"Prodigies, foretelling the future eminence and lustre of his character."
"This was a demise foretold. Fatalistic in the face of a parliamentary impasse, Mr. Bayrou had, even before the debate began, invited his entourage to a “convivial moment,” or farewell soirée, this evening."
"[…] there came to him a Person named Saul, whom Samuel had never before seen; but God made him know it was the same he had foretold him of."

Etymology

First use appears before 1400, from Middle English foretellen, equivalent to fore- + tell.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: foretellen

Regional Pronunciation

American English: [foːˈteɫ]
British English: [fɔːˈtɛɫ]

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

foretells (present, singular) foretelling (participle, present) foretold (participle, past) foretold (past) foretel (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

foretellable foreteller

Frequently Paired Words

foretale forecast foresee forewarn

Synonyms

foresay forespeak bode portend auspicate prognosticate omen presage betoken foreshadow augur prefigure

Rhymes With

well tell hell sell hotel cell fell bell el personnel nfl smell

Questions

How do you pronounce foretell?: The recorded pronunciation is [foːˈteɫ].
What does foretell mean?: To predict; to tell (the future) before it occurs; to prophesy.
Where does foretell come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce foretell

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “foretell”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling ([foːˈteɫ]) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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