Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

macaw

/məˈkɑ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.33 in modern English

Syllables
macaw
IPA
/məˈkɑ/
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various parrots of the genera Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Orthopsittaca, Primolius and Diopsittaca of Central and South America, including the largest parrots and characterized by long sabre-shaped tails, curved powerful bills, and usually brilliant plumage.

Etymology

From Portuguese macau, of unknown origin. English sources point to Nheengatu makawana, which is only attested from the 20th century onwards.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /məˈkɑ/
  • British English: /məˈkɔː/

Inflected Forms

macaws (plural) maccaw (alternative, obsolete) macao (alternative, obsolete)

Phrases

blue-and-gold macaw blue-and-yellow macaw blue-winged macaw Cuban macaw Cuban red macaw great green macaw hyacinth macaw macaw bush

Rhymes With

law in-law saw draw aw shaw withdraw straw jaw flaw claw paw

Questions

How do you pronounce macaw?
The recorded pronunciation is /məˈkɑ/.
What does macaw mean?
Any of various parrots of the genera Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Orthopsittaca, Primolius and Diopsittaca of Central and South America, including the largest parrots and characterized by long sabre-shaped tails, curved powerful bills, and usually brilliant plumage.
Where does macaw come from?
It is traced to Portuguese.

How to pronounce macaw

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