Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

galleon

/ˈɡæ.li.ən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.57 in modern English

Syllables: galleon
IPA: /ˈɡæ.li.ən/

8

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A large, three-masted, square rigged sailing ship with at least two decks.

Example Sentences

"The next day he returned to camp with the balance of his ingots, and when they were stored on board the cruiser Captain Dufranne said he felt like the commander of an old-time Spanish galleon returning from the treasure cities of the Aztecs. “I don’t know what minute my crew will cut my throat, and take over the ship,” he added."

Etymology

From Middle French galion or Spanish galeón. Originally an augmentative form of a Romance language cognate of galley, the word spread around the Mediterranean from the 12th century, taking on different meanings depending on place and time.

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: galion

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɡæ.li.ən/
British English: /ˈɡæ.li.ən/

Inflected Forms

galleons (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

galleass

Rhymes With

galyean

Questions

How do you pronounce galleon?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡæ.li.ən/.
What does galleon mean?: A large, three-masted, square rigged sailing ship with at least two decks.
Where does galleon come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce galleon

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