Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

harmattan

/ˌhɑɹməˈtæn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.98 in modern English

Syllables
har-mat-tan
IPA
/ˌhɑɹməˈtæn/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A dry and dusty wind which blows from the Sahara over the Atlantic coast of West Africa in December, January and February, being a hot wind in some areas and a cold wind in others.

noun

A season which spans the period in which the harmattan wind blows.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Twi Akan haramata or a related word (whence also Spanish harmatán). The ultimate origin is supposed by some to be an Arabic word, but which one is uncertain; حَرَام (ḥarām, “accursed thing”) has been suggested.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌhɑɹməˈtæn/
  • British English: /ˌhɑːməˈtæn/

Inflected Forms

harmattans (plural)

Rhymes With

an can than man one-man plan began san fan japan ran van

Questions

How do you pronounce harmattan?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌhɑɹməˈtæn/.
What does harmattan mean?
A dry and dusty wind which blows from the Sahara over the Atlantic coast of West Africa in December, January and February, being a hot wind in some areas and a cold wind in others.
Where does harmattan come from?
From Twi Akan haramata or a related word (whence also Spanish harmatán). The ultimate origin is supposed by some to be an Arabic word, but which one is uncertain; حَرَام (ḥarām, “accursed thing”) has been suggested.

How to pronounce harmattan

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