Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

oriel

/ˈɔːɹiəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.49 in modern English

Syllables: oriel
IPA: /ˈɔːɹiəl/

5

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A large polygonal recess in a building, such as a bay window, forming a protrusion on the outer wall.

noun

A small apartment next to a hall, used for dining.

Obsolete

name

Ellipsis of Oriel College, Oxford.

Informal

Example Sentences

"The middle window of the oriel before her, just caught and reflected back the crimson light and colour. The ground below looked bright and warm compared with the shade around."
"The beams that thro' the Oriel shine / Make prisms in every carven glass, / And beaker brimm'd with noble wine."

Etymology

From Middle English oriel, from Old French oriol (“gallery, corridor”), Late Latin oriolum (“portico, hall”), probably from Latin aureolus (“gilded”), applied to an apartment decorated with gilding. See oriole. Or a diminutive of Latin os (“mouth”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: oriel, oriol, oriolum, aureolus

Usage

Inflected Forms

oriels (plural)

Derived Forms

orielled Toriel

Synonyms

oriel window

Questions

How do you pronounce oriel?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɔːɹiəl/.
What does oriel mean?: A large polygonal recess in a building, such as a bay window, forming a protrusion on the outer wall.
Where does oriel come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce oriel

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