Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tambourine

/ˌtæm.bəˈɹiːn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables
tam-bour-ine
IPA
/ˌtæm.bəˈɹiːn/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A percussion instrument consisting of a small, usually wooden, hoop closed on one side with a drum frame and featuring jingling metal disks on the tread; it is most often held in the hand and shaken rhythmically; by extension, any frame drum.

noun

A tambourine dove (Turtur tympanistria).

noun

A kind of Provençal dance.

noun

The music for this dance.

verb

To play the tambourine.

verb

To make a sound like a tambourine.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French tambourin (“little drum”), from French tambour (“drum”). Ultimately from Arabic طُنْبُور (ṭunbūr); see it and Persian تنبور for more.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Music.

Inflected Forms

tambourines (plural) tambourines (present, singular) tambourining (participle, present) tambourined (participle, past) tambourined (past)

Derived Forms

tambourinelike tambourinist

Rhymes With

between mean seen green clean scene machine queen screen marine dean routine

Questions

How do you pronounce tambourine?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌtæm.bəˈɹiːn/.
What does tambourine mean?
A percussion instrument consisting of a small, usually wooden, hoop closed on one side with a drum frame and featuring jingling metal disks on the tread; it is most often held in the hand and shaken rhythmically; by extension, any frame drum.
Where does tambourine come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce tambourine

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