Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

metathesis

/məˈtæ.θə.sɪs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.92 in modern English

Syllables
metathe-sis
IPA
/məˈtæ.θə.sɪs/
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The transposition of letters, syllables or sounds within a word.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The double decomposition of inorganic salts.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The breaking and reforming of double bonds in olefins in which substituent groups are swapped.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin metathesis, from Ancient Greek μετάθεσις (metáthesis), from μετά (metá, “among”) + θέσις (thésis, “placement”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: μετάθεσις

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /məˈtæ.θə.sɪs/
  • British English: /məˈtæ.θə.sɪs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

metatheses (plural)

Derived Forms

antimetathesis crossmetathesis

Phrases

olefin metathesis quantitative metathesis self-metathesis

Frequently Paired Words

metathesize metathetic spoonerism

Synonyms

double decomposition double decomposition reaction

Questions

How do you pronounce metathesis?
The recorded pronunciation is /məˈtæ.θə.sɪs/.
What does metathesis mean?
The transposition of letters, syllables or sounds within a word.
Where does metathesis come from?
It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce metathesis

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