Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

stepmother

/ˈstɛpmʌðə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.16 in modern English

Syllables
step-moth-er
IPA
/ˈstɛpmʌðə/
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A woman who is a subsequent wife or partner of a person's parent, usually following the divorce or separation of their parents, or the death of one's biological mother.

noun

A woman who is a subsequent wife or partner of a person's parent, usually following the divorce or separation of their parents, or the death of one's biological mother.

noun

Synonym of co-mother (“the non-birth mother of a child in a lesbian couple”).

noun

Clipping of stepmother's blessing.

noun

A viola, especially Viola tricolor, heartsease.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English stepmoder, from Old English stēopmōdor, from Proto-Germanic *steupamōdēr (“stepmother”), corresponding to step- + mother. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Stäifmuur (“stepmother”), Dutch stiefmoeder (“stepmother”), German Low German Steevmoder (“stepmother”), German Stiefmutter (“stepmother”), Danish stedmor (“stepmother”), Swedish styvmor (“stepmother”), Icelandic stjúpmóðir (“stepmother”). Compare also West Frisian styfmem (“stepmother”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /ˈstɛpmʌðə/

Inflected Forms

stepmothers (plural) step-mother (alternative)

Derived Forms

stepmotherhood stepmotherless stepmotherly

Phrases

ex-stepmother ex-stepfather ex-stepparent stepmother-in-law

Frequently Paired Words

ex-stepfather ex-stepparent stepbrother stepchild stepdaughter stepmother-in-law stepfamily stepfather

Synonyms

bonus mother co-mother mother-in-law stepdame stepma stepmam stepmama stepmamma stepmom stepmomma stepmommy stepmum

Questions

How do you pronounce stepmother?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈstɛpmʌðə/.
What does stepmother mean?
A woman who is a subsequent wife or partner of a person's parent, usually following the divorce or separation of their parents, or the death of one's biological mother.
Where does stepmother come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce stepmother

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