Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sousaphone

/ˈsuːsəˌfoʊn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.62 in modern English

Syllables: sou-sa-phone
IPA: /ˈsuːsəˌfoʊn/

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A valved brass instrument with the same length as a tuba, but shaped differently so that the bell is above the head, that the valves are situated directly in front of the musical instruments and a few inches above the waist, and that most of the weight rests on one shoulder.

Example Sentences

"One version of the large tuba, popular in marching bands, is called a sousaphone in honor of bandsman John Philip Sousa."

Etymology

Named after American composer and conductor John Philip Sousa + -phone.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: -phone

Inflected Forms

sousaphones (plural)

Derived Forms

sousaphonist

Frequently Paired Words

helicon tuba

Synonyms

bass horn tuba

Questions

How do you pronounce sousaphone?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsuːsəˌfoʊn/.
What does sousaphone mean?: A valved brass instrument with the same length as a tuba, but shaped differently so that the bell is above the head, that the valves are situated directly in front of the musical instruments and a few inches above the waist, and that most of the weight rests on one shoulder.
Where does sousaphone come from?: Named after American composer and conductor John Philip Sousa + -phone.

How to pronounce sousaphone

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