Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

portray

/poːˈtɹæ̝ɪ̯/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.63 in modern English

Syllables: por-tray
IPA: /poːˈtɹæ̝ɪ̯/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To paint or draw the likeness of.

verb

To represent by an image or look.

verb

To describe in words; to convey.

verb

To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event.

verb

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"I will portray a king on horseback."
"Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death, And in his eies the furies of his heart, That ſhine as Comets, menacing reueng, And caſts a pale complexion on his cheeks."
"For my next movie, I will be portraying Shakespeare."

Etymology

From Middle English portray, from Middle French portraire.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: portray, portraire

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /poːˈtɹæ̝ɪ̯/
British English: /pɔːˈtɹeɪ̯/

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

portrays (present, singular) portraying (participle, present) portrayed (participle, past) portrayed (past) pourtray (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

misportray portrayable portrayee portrayer portrayist

Frequently Paired Words

portrait portrayal

Synonyms

depict limn present impersonate

Rhymes With

they way may day say one-way away play today pay stay re

Questions

How do you pronounce portray?: The recorded pronunciation is /poːˈtɹæ̝ɪ̯/.
What does portray mean?: To paint or draw the likeness of.
Where does portray come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce portray

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