Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

metcalf

/mˈɛtkˌæf/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.89 in modern English

Syllables: met-calf
IPA: /mˈɛtkˌæf/

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A Northern English surname.

Example Sentences

"The online fundraising site GiveSendGo continues to face criticism over a page that has raised more than $320,000 for Karmelo Anthony, the teen arrested for stabbing fellow 17-year-old student-athlete Austin Metcalf to death at a Texas track meet last week."

Etymology

Possibly from Old English *metecealf (“meat calf”), a calf to be fattened up for eating. The use as a surname could have started off as a jocular nickname for an individual thought to be as "fat as a prize-calf"; or else in reference to the occupation involved in fattening up such a calf.

Origin

Source language: Old English

Word Breakdown

Root: *metecealf

Inflected Forms

Metcalfs (plural) Medcalf (alternative) Medcalfe (alternative) Metcalfe (alternative) Mitcalfe (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce metcalf?: The recorded pronunciation is /mˈɛtkˌæf/.
What does metcalf mean?: A Northern English surname.
Where does metcalf come from?: It is traced to Old English.

How to pronounce metcalf

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