Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

prelim

/priˈlɪm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.50 in modern English

Syllables: pre-lim
IPA: /priˈlɪm/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Informal

noun

Something preliminary, such as a trial, report, race, etc.

Informal

noun

Clipping of preliminary examination; a type of exam sat at the end of the first year of most undergraduate degrees.

Informal

noun

The preliminary front matter of a book; all content preceding the main text or work itself.

Etymology

Clipping of preliminary. Sense 2 ("clipping of preliminary examination") was originally Oxford University slang, now in common use.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /priˈlɪm/
British English: /ˈpriːlɪm/

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

prelims (plural)

Synonyms

preliminary examination preliminary exam preliminary

Rhymes With

him im jim kim tim gym swim slim trim rim sim limb

Questions

How do you pronounce prelim?: The recorded pronunciation is /priˈlɪm/.
What does prelim mean?: Preliminary.
Where does prelim come from?: Clipping of preliminary. Sense 2 ("clipping of preliminary examination") was originally Oxford University slang, now in common use.

How to pronounce prelim

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