Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tessitura

/tɛsɪˈtʊəɹə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.41 in modern English

Syllables: tes-si-tu-ra
IPA: /tɛsɪˈtʊəɹə/

9

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The most acceptable and comfortable vocal range for a singer or musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding timbre.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Byrne shrugged. He started writing a bravura / Opera based on Cleopatra’s death, / Exploiting all Maria’s tessitura, / With a high F before her final breath."
"Anne's talented voice made the lines I had written swoop, howl, and whine through an authentically Thatcherite tessitura [...]."
"In classical voice training, and in the world of classical singing, voices are divided into categories dependent on timbre or tonal colour and tessitura or comfortable average pitch range."

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian tessitura. Doublet of texture.

Origin

Source language: Italian

Word Breakdown

Root: *tetḱ-, tessitura

Usage

Inflected Forms

tessituras (plural) tessiture (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

compass

Rhymes With

bureau dura jura sura surah tempura mura bravura datura angostura katsura coloratura

Questions

How do you pronounce tessitura?: The recorded pronunciation is /tɛsɪˈtʊəɹə/.
What does tessitura mean?: The most acceptable and comfortable vocal range for a singer or musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding timbre.
Where does tessitura come from?: It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce tessitura

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