Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

redpoint

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.66 in modern English

Syllables
red-point
IPA
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To free-climb (a route), while lead climbing, after having practiced the route beforehand.

Transitive verb

Etymology

From red + point, as a calque of German Rotpunkt, coined by Kurt Albert in the mid-1970s at Frankenjura. He would paint a red X on a fixed pin that he could avoid using for a foothold or handhold.

Usage

Inflected Forms

redpoints (present, singular) redpointing (participle, present) redpointed (participle, past) redpointed (past)

Questions

What does redpoint mean?
To free-climb (a route), while lead climbing, after having practiced the route beforehand.
Where does redpoint come from?
From red + point, as a calque of German Rotpunkt, coined by Kurt Albert in the mid-1970s at Frankenjura. He would paint a red X on a fixed pin that he could avoid using for a foothold or handhold.

How to pronounce redpoint

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