Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pickaxe

/ˈpɪkˌæks/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.35 in modern English

Syllables
pick-axe
IPA
/ˈpɪkˌæks/
22
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A heavy iron tool with a wooden handle; one end of the head is pointed, the other has a chisel edge.

verb

To use a pickaxe.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pykeaxe, pecaxe, pyke exe (“pickaxe”), an alteration (due to folk etymology association with pick and axe) of Middle English pikeyse, pikeys, pykois, from Anglo-Norman *pikeis, Old French picois, pecois, from Latin picōsa (“pickaxe”), from picca, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pīk (“sharp point, pike”). Doublet of pique and pike.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: pykeaxe, *pikeis, picois, picōsa, *pīk

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈpɪkˌæks/

Inflected Forms

pickaxes (plural) pickax (alternative, US) pick-axe (alternative) pickaxes (present, singular) pickaxing (participle, present) pickaxed (participle, past) pickaxed (past)

Derived Forms

pickaxer

Synonyms

pick pickax

Questions

How do you pronounce pickaxe?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪkˌæks/.
What does pickaxe mean?
A heavy iron tool with a wooden handle; one end of the head is pointed, the other has a chisel edge.
Where does pickaxe come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce pickaxe

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