Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

motherless

/mˈʌðɚlɪs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.37 in modern English

Syllables
moth-er-less
IPA
/mˈʌðɚlɪs/
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Without a (living) mother.

adj

Without a history or predecessor.

adv

very, completely (especially in reference to drunkenness)

Australian usage; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English moderles, from Old English mōdorlēas, from Proto-Germanic *mōdērlausaz, equivalent to mother + -less. Cognate with Saterland Frisian muurloos (“motherless”), Dutch moederloos (“motherless”), German mutterlos (“motherless”), Danish moderløs (“motherless”), Swedish moderlös (“motherless”), Icelandic móðurlaus (“motherless”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

more motherless (comparative) most motherless (superlative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Questions

How do you pronounce motherless?
The recorded pronunciation is /mˈʌðɚlɪs/.
What does motherless mean?
Without a (living) mother.
Where does motherless come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce motherless

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