Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

starkness

/ˈstɑɹknəs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.62 in modern English

Syllables: stark-ness
IPA: /ˈstɑɹknəs/

13

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state or quality of being stark.

Uncountable

noun

The result or product of being stark.

Countable

Example Sentences

"In the morning the framed photograph of the two of them, hanging on the sitting-room wall, was gone. The patch of wall where it had been hanging a hurtful rectangle of dusty starkness."
"The power of the stories overrides everything else. The quiet starkness of the telling: […]"
"The starkness of the studies correlates with the rising number of people – especially Democrats – who see climate change as not just an issue but the issue of our times."

Etymology

From Middle English starknes, starkenes, starkenesse, equivalent to stark + -ness.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: starknes

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈstɑɹknəs/
British English: /ˈstɑːknəs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

starknesses (plural)

Synonyms

bareness absoluteness utterness

Rhymes With

darkness harkness

Questions

How do you pronounce starkness?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈstɑɹknəs/.
What does starkness mean?: The state or quality of being stark.
Where does starkness come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce starkness

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