Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

light bulb

/ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.65 in modern English

Syllables: light bulb
IPA: /ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/

17

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

1

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An evacuated glass bulb containing a metal filament which is heated by electrical resistance to produce light.

noun

An article that resembles such a bulb and converts electricity to light by any process.

noun

Used in reference to the sudden arrival of a realization, an inspiration, an idea, or the like.

Example Sentences

"Atticus did something that interested us: he came into the livingroom carrying a long electrical extension cord. There was a light bulb on the end."
"a fluorescent light bulb"
"an LED light bulb"
"a light-bulb moment"
"Figuratively speaking, a light-bulb flashed over Galvin's head early this year, and in March–along […]"
"A light bulb went off in my head as I had an incredible idea for a beauty product."

Etymology

From light + bulb First attested in 1885.

Origin

First known use: First attested in 1885

Inflected Forms

light bulbs (plural) light-bulb (alternative) lightbulb (alternative)

Phrases

light-bulbed light bulb joke light-bulb moment

Synonyms

bulb glow-lamp incandescent lamp light globe lightbulb electric light electric-light bulb

Homonyms

lightbulb

Questions

How do you pronounce light bulb?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/.
What does light bulb mean?: An evacuated glass bulb containing a metal filament which is heated by electrical resistance to produce light.
Where does light bulb come from?: First known use: First attested in 1885.

How to pronounce light bulb

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