Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

serial killer

/ˈsɪəɹiəl ˌkɪlɚ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.03 in modern English

Syllables: Ser-i-al kil-ler
IPA: /ˈsɪəɹiəl ˌkɪlɚ/

16

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An individual who murders three or more people, with the killings taking place over a period of more than one month in three or more separate events.

Example Sentences

"“It’s easier to sort of attribute these deaths to a boogeyman serial killer as opposed to confronting the real possible reasons that these deaths are happening,” she said, pointing to mental health, substance abuse and housing issues."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsɪəɹiəl ˌkɪlɚ/
British English: /ˈsɪəɹɪəl ˌkɪlə/

Inflected Forms

serial killers (plural)

Phrases

serial kill serial killer glasses serial killer van mass murderer

Frequently Paired Words

mass murderer

Synonyms

serial murderer

Rhymes With

villa manila vanilla gorilla godzilla priscilla flotilla anguilla chinchilla scylla maxilla silla

Questions

How do you pronounce serial killer?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɪəɹiəl ˌkɪlɚ/.
What does serial killer mean?: An individual who murders three or more people, with the killings taking place over a period of more than one month in three or more separate events.

How to pronounce serial killer

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