Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

polyphony

/pəˈlɪfəni/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.31 in modern English

Syllables
polypho-ny
IPA
/pəˈlɪfəni/
22
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony).

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The quality of a text of being able to be read in more than one way.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πολυφωνία (poluphōnía); equivalent to poly- + -phony.

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /pəˈlɪfəni/

Usage

Inflected Forms

polyphonies (plural)

Derived Forms

micropolyphony polyphonist

Frequently Paired Words

cacophony heterophony polyphonal polyphonic symphony orchestration

Synonyms

polyphonic music concerted music

Rhymes With

tiffany epiphany

Questions

How do you pronounce polyphony?
The recorded pronunciation is /pəˈlɪfəni/.
What does polyphony mean?
Musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony).
Where does polyphony come from?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πολυφωνία (poluphōnía); equivalent to poly- + -phony.

How to pronounce polyphony

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