Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

laverne

/ləvˈɝn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.77 in modern English

Syllables: lav-erne
IPA: /ləvˈɝn/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A female given name transferred from the surname.

American usage

Etymology

19th-century invention, possibly from the Californian town La Verne, named in the belief that it means "the green" in French. Laverne is a genuine French surname, from Gaulish la verne "the alder (tree place)" but - as in the case of Leroy - there is no apparent reason to turn it into an American given name.

Usage

American usage

Phrases

La Verne La Vergne

Frequently Paired Words

La Verne La Vergne Lavern Laverna

Rhymes With

turn return learn concern burn earn stern byrne fern urn discern kern

Questions

How do you pronounce laverne?: The recorded pronunciation is /ləvˈɝn/.
What does laverne mean?: A female given name transferred from the surname.
Where does laverne come from?: 19th-century invention, possibly from the Californian town La Verne, named in the belief that it means "the green" in French. Laverne is a genuine French surname, from Gaulish la verne "the alder (tree place)" but - as in the case of Leroy - there is no apparent reason to turn it into an American given name.

How to pronounce laverne

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