Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lower 48

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.64 in modern English

Syllables: low-er 48
IPA

8

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The contiguous continental states area of the United States, comprising 48 states in number, and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

American usage

Example Sentences

"Every month, the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Centre conducts a telephone poll of at least 500 households selected to be broadly representative of the Lower 48 states."

Etymology

From lower + 48

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

the lower 48 (canonical)

Synonyms

contiguous 48 contiguous United States continental United States continental US CONUS

Questions

What does lower 48 mean?: The contiguous continental states area of the United States, comprising 48 states in number, and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Where does lower 48 come from?: From lower + 48

How to pronounce lower 48

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lower 48”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “lower 48” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.