Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

niello

/niˈɛloʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.56 in modern English

Syllables
niel-lo
IPA
/niˈɛloʊ/
6
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various black metal alloys, made of sulphur with copper, silver or lead, used to create decorative designs on other metals.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An impression on paper taken from the engraved or incised surface before the niello alloy has been inlaid.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To decorate (a surface) using this technique.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian niello, from Latin nigellus (“blackish”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: niello, nigellus

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /niˈɛloʊ/
  • British English: /niˈɛləʊ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

niellos (plural) nielli (plural) niellos (present, singular) nielloing (participle, present) nielloed (participle, past) nielloed (past)

Derived Forms

nielloware

Frequently Paired Words

niellated nielle niellist niellure

Questions

How do you pronounce niello?
The recorded pronunciation is /niˈɛloʊ/.
What does niello mean?
Any of various black metal alloys, made of sulphur with copper, silver or lead, used to create decorative designs on other metals.
Where does niello come from?
It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce niello

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