Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mavis

/ˈmeɪvɪs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English

Syllables: mavis
IPA: /ˈmeɪvɪs/

10

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A female given name from English.

noun

Example Sentences

""Rather an odd name, Mavis, isn't it?" I at last ventured to observe. "Yes, - but it suits her wonderfully. She sings quite as sweetly as any thrush, so she merits her designation.""
"At midnight the moon cometh, / And looketh down alone; / Her song the lintwhite swelleth, / The clear voiced mavis dwelleth […]"

Etymology

Coined at the end of the 19th century from mavis, a poetical name for the song thrush.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: mavys, mauvis

Inflected Forms

mavises (plural)

Derived Forms

Mavis

Phrases

mavis skate

Synonyms

song thrush throstle turdus philomelos

Rhymes With

avis davis davies rara avis clavis

Questions

How do you pronounce mavis?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmeɪvɪs/.
What does mavis mean?: A female given name from English.
Where does mavis come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce mavis

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