Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

soapstone

/ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.33 in modern English

Syllables: soap-stone
IPA: /ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn/

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A soft rock, rich in talc, also containing serpentine and either magnetite, dolomite or calcite.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Synonym of saponite.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To scrub with soapstone.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"To have a reliable fire, you'll need to carve a lamp from soapstone (you know what soapstone looks like, right?), render some oil for the lamp from blubber, and make a wick out of a particular species of moss."

Etymology

From soap + stone; so called because the archetypal varieties of the stone resemble soap in multiple ways: their feel, appearance, and carvability. First use appears c. 1681, in the writings of Nehemiah Grew.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

soapstones (plural) soapstones (present, singular) soapstoning (participle, present) soapstoned (participle, past) soapstoned (past)

Derived Forms

soapstoner

Synonyms

soaprock steatite saponite soap-rock

Questions

How do you pronounce soapstone?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn/.
What does soapstone mean?: A soft rock, rich in talc, also containing serpentine and either magnetite, dolomite or calcite.
Where does soapstone come from?: From soap + stone; so called because the archetypal varieties of the stone resemble soap in multiple ways: their feel, appearance, and carvability. First use appears c. 1681, in the writings of Nehemiah Grew.

How to pronounce soapstone

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