Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pompeii

/pɑːmˈpeɪ(i)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.00 in modern English

Syllables: pom-peii
IPA: /pɑːmˈpeɪ(i)/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A ruined Roman town in Italy, destroyed by Vesuvius (a volcano) in AD 79.

name

A city and commune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Pompeiī, of Oscan origin, from Oscan *pompe (“five”) + the Latin name-forming suffix -eiī, a reference to its five districts. Related to cinque, five, pimp (“five”), ponzu, punch (“beverage”), and sengi (“currency”).

Word Breakdown

Root: -, *pompe

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pɑːmˈpeɪ(i)/
British English: /pɒmˈpeɪ(i)/

Derived Forms

Pompeiana Pompeiian

Frequently Paired Words

Pompeian

Questions

How do you pronounce pompeii?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɑːmˈpeɪ(i)/.
What does pompeii mean?: A ruined Roman town in Italy, destroyed by Vesuvius (a volcano) in AD 79.
Where does pompeii come from?: Borrowed from Latin Pompeiī, of Oscan origin, from Oscan *pompe (“five”) + the Latin name-forming suffix -eiī, a reference to its five districts. Related to cinque, five, pimp (“five”), ponzu, punch (“beverage”), and sengi (“currency”).

How to pronounce pompeii

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pɑːmˈpeɪ(i)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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