Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pen pal

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.84 in modern English

Syllables: pen -pal
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A friend with whom one communicates using letters, usually over a long distance.

verb

To correspond with a pen pal.

Informal; Intransitive verb; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Friendship provides shelter from the buffeting storms of life and the complexities of life situations. By penpalling, both can exchange thoughts, feelings, ideas, ideals and knowledge. Such an exchange promotes fresh insights and personal growth for both insider and those in the free world. Please let's talk."

Usage

Inflected Forms

pen pals (plural) pen pals (present, singular) pen palling (participle, present) pen palled (participle, past) pen palled (past)

Synonyms

penfriend pen-friend

Questions

What does pen pal mean?: A friend with whom one communicates using letters, usually over a long distance.

How to pronounce pen pal

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