Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tentpole

/ˈtɛntˌpoʊl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.75 in modern English

Syllables: tent-pole
IPA: /ˈtɛntˌpoʊl/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One of the poles used to hold up a tent.

noun

A large-scale entertainment production that is a major source of revenue for its studio, television network, or investors.

American usage

verb

To schedule a popular programme between two newer or less popular ones in the hope that viewers will watch them.

Example Sentences

"His [James Rolfe's] reasoning dances around the simple fact that has set this innocuous-seeming movie apart from its fellow blockbusters this summer—that it’s a tentpole genre film starring women."

Etymology

From tent + pole.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈtɛntˌpoʊl/

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

tentpoles (plural) tent pole (alternative) tentpoles (present, singular) tentpoling (participle, present) tentpoled (participle, past) tentpoled (past)

Phrases

tentpole film tentpole movie tentpole project tentpole property

Frequently Paired Words

hammock

Questions

How do you pronounce tentpole?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɛntˌpoʊl/.
What does tentpole mean?: One of the poles used to hold up a tent.
Where does tentpole come from?: From tent + pole.

How to pronounce tentpole

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