Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

stepfamily

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.56 in modern English

Syllables: step-fam-i-ly
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any family having one or more stepchildren or stepparents.

noun

The family of one's stepfather or stepmother; those immediate family members not related by blood.

Example Sentences

"Researchers are finding that the incidence of violence and abuse is vastly greater in stepfamilies than in traditional families in which the children are biologically related to both parents and to one other."
"Meanwhile, thanks to the huge number of second marriages, a third of all Americans are part of a stepfamily."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- Proto-Germanic *steupa- Proto-West Germanic *steupa- Old English stēop- Middle English step- English step- English family English stepfamily From step- + family.

Inflected Forms

stepfamilies (plural) step family (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

steprelative

Synonyms

blended family patchwork family

Questions

What does stepfamily mean?: Any family having one or more stepchildren or stepparents.
Where does stepfamily come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- Proto-Germanic *steupa- Proto-West Germanic *steupa- Old English stēop- Middle English step- English step- English family English stepfamily From step- + family.

How to pronounce stepfamily

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