Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ladyship

/ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.55 in modern English

Syllables: la-dy-ship
IPA: /ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Term of respect for a woman of the peerage without using her title.

noun

Formal form of address for a lady judge (as opposed to the informal "judge").

Example Sentences

""Her ladyship will be unable to attend tonight," he said, with a wink because he hadn't said why."
"York got down and said very respectfully, "I beg your pardon, my lady, but these horses have not been reined up for three years, and my lord said it would be safer to bring them to it by degrees; but if your ladyship pleases, I can take them up a little more.""

Etymology

From Middle English ladyschipe, ladyshipe; equivalent to lady + -ship.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: ladyschipe
Suffix: lady

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/
British English: /ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/

Inflected Forms

ladyships (plural)

Phrases

first ladyship

Frequently Paired Words

first ladyship lordship

Questions

How do you pronounce ladyship?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/.
What does ladyship mean?: Term of respect for a woman of the peerage without using her title.
Where does ladyship come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce ladyship

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