Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

paean

/ˈpi.ən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.41 in modern English

Syllables
pae-an
IPA
/ˈpi.ən/
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any loud and joyous song; a song of triumph.

verb

To sing a paean; to praise.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin paeān (“a hymn, especially a victory hymn, to Apollo or another god”), from Ancient Greek παιᾱ́ν (paiā́n, “a chant or song, especially a thanksgiving or victory hymn, to Apollo under the name Παιᾱ́ν (Paiā́n)”), from the phrase Ἰὼ Παιᾱ́ν (Iṑ Paiā́n, “O Paean!, Thanks to Paean!”). According to Homer, Paián or Paean was the name of the physician of the gods; its further etymology is unclear. It has been suggested that Παιᾱ́ν is derived from *παιάϝων (*paiáwōn, “one who heals illnesses through magic”), from *παῖϝα (*paîwa), *παϝία (*pawía, “to blow”), related to παίω (paíō, “to hit, strike”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pēu-, *pyu-, *pū- (“to hit; to cut”)), or from παύω (paúō, “to bring to an end; to abate, to stop”) (from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, little; smallness”)), or that it may be a Pre-Greek word. Compare Middle French and French pæan (also French péan), Italian peana, Portuguese peã, péan.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: paeān, παιᾱ́ν, *pēu-

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈpi.ən/
  • British English: /ˈpiː.ən/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

unrelated homophone

Frequently Paired Words

hagiography peon unrelated homophone

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce paean?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpi.ən/.
What does paean mean?
A chant or song, especially a hymn of thanksgiving for deliverance or victory, to Apollo or sometimes another god or goddess; hence any song sung to solicit victory in battle.
Where does paean come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce paean

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