Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

smithsonian

/smɪθˈsəʊni.ən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.40 in modern English

Syllables: smith-so-ni-an
IPA: /smɪθˈsəʊni.ən/

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of or pertaining to James Smithson (c.1765–1829), British mineralogist and chemist whose bequest was used to set up the Smithsonian Institution in the United States.

name

The Smithsonian Institution, a group of museums and research centers established in 1846 and administered by the United States government.

Example Sentences

"Published in 1982, the now out-of-print computer guide is a real relic, full of dozens of black-and-white pictures of large, bulky computers that you would sooner find in the Smithsonian than on anybody's desk today."

Etymology

From Smithson + -ian.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: Smithson

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /smɪθˈsəʊni.ən/

Inflected Forms

more Smithsonian (comparative) most Smithsonian (superlative) the Smithsonian (canonical)

Derived Forms

Blacksonian

Rhymes With

estonian babylonian caledonian devonian draconian amazonian newtonian oregonian jeffersonian washingtonian patagonian bostonian

Questions

How do you pronounce smithsonian?: The recorded pronunciation is /smɪθˈsəʊni.ən/.
What does smithsonian mean?: Of or pertaining to James Smithson (c.1765–1829), British mineralogist and chemist whose bequest was used to set up the Smithsonian Institution in the United States.
Where does smithsonian come from?: From Smithson + -ian.

How to pronounce smithsonian

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “smithsonian”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/smɪθˈsəʊni.ən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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