Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

genius loci

/ˈɡɛnɪˌʊs ˈloʊki/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.78 in modern English

Syllables
ge-nius loci
IPA
/ˈɡɛnɪˌʊs ˈloʊki/
13
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The minor deity or spirit watching over a particular place.

noun

The spirit or atmosphere of a place, especially conceived as a source of artistic inspiration.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin genius loci (“tutelary deity of a/the place”), from the singular genitive form of locus (“place”).

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɡɛnɪˌʊs ˈloʊki/
  • British English: /ˈɡɛnɪˌʊs ˈləʊki/

Inflected Forms

genii loci (plural) genii locorum (plural)

Phrases

genius hominis genius familiae

Frequently Paired Words

genius hominis genius familiae

Synonyms

geist muse ambience

Questions

How do you pronounce genius loci?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡɛnɪˌʊs ˈloʊki/.
What does genius loci mean?
The minor deity or spirit watching over a particular place.
Where does genius loci come from?
Learned borrowing from Latin genius loci (“tutelary deity of a/the place”), from the singular genitive form of locus (“place”).

How to pronounce genius loci

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “genius loci”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɡɛnɪˌʊs ˈloʊki/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “genius loci”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “genius loci” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.