Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

read-only

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.44 in modern English

Syllables: read--on-ly
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Unalterable, capable of being read but not written.

Example Sentences

"If they want read-only access for political purposes — fine. But don’t give them write access.”"

Etymology

From read + only.

Phrases

read-only access read-only memory read-write write-only

Frequently Paired Words

read-write write-only

Questions

What does read-only mean?: Unalterable, capable of being read but not written.
Where does read-only come from?: From read + only.

How to pronounce read-only

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