Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

orwellian

/ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.63 in modern English

Syllables
Or-well-i-an
IPA
/ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/
12
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Resembling, or having to do with, George Orwell, and especially his novel 1984.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree English Orwell Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *-ānos Latin -ānus Latin -iānusbor. English -ian English Orwellian From Orwell + -ian.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/
  • British English: /ɔːˈwɛli.ən/

Inflected Forms

more Orwellian (comparative) most Orwellian (superlative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce orwellian?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/.
What does orwellian mean?
Resembling the totalitarian political methods decried in the works of writer George Orwell, particularly in the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four; characterized by use of misleading terminology, propaganda, censorship, surveillance and repression.
Where does orwellian come from?
Etymology tree English Orwell Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *-ānos Latin -ānus Latin -iānusbor. English -ian English Orwellian From Orwell + -ian.

How to pronounce orwellian

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “orwellian”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “orwellian” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.