Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

punctuate

[ˈpʰʌŋkʃɪu̯ːeɪt]

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.34 in modern English

Syllables
punc-tu-ate
IPA
[ˈpʰʌŋkʃɪu̯ːeɪt]
13
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To add punctuation to.

Transitive verb

verb

To add or to interrupt at regular intervals.

Transitive verb

verb

To emphasize; to stress.

Transitive verb

adj

Point-like; consisting of or marked with one or more points.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuātus, perfect passive participle of pūnctuō (“to mark with points”), from Medieval Latin pūnctus (“a point, dot”), from pungō (“to prick, punch”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of punch.

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *pewǵ-, pūnctus

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: [ˈpʰʌŋkʃɪu̯ːeɪt]
  • British English: /ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

punctuates (present, singular) punctuating (participle, present) punctuated (participle, past) punctuated (past) more punctuate (comparative) most punctuate (superlative)

Derived Forms

interpunctuate mispunctuate overpunctuate punctuatable punctuative punctuator repunctuate underpunctuate unpunctuate nonpunctuate

Frequently Paired Words

point punch punctilious punctual punctuality punctuation

Synonyms

mark stress emphasize emphasise accent accentuate

Questions

How do you pronounce punctuate?
The recorded pronunciation is [ˈpʰʌŋkʃɪu̯ːeɪt].
What does punctuate mean?
To add punctuation to.
Where does punctuate come from?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuātus, perfect passive participle of pūnctuō (“to mark with points”), from Medieval Latin pūnctus (“a point, dot”), from pungō (“to prick, punch”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of punch.

How to pronounce punctuate

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