Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

violoncello

/ˌvaɪələnˈt͡ʃɛloʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.07 in modern English

Syllables: vi-o-lon-cel-lo
IPA: /ˌvaɪələnˈt͡ʃɛloʊ/

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

5

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of cello.

Example Sentences

"A tentative violoncello is playing, invisible and plaintive, then stops with an asthmatic scrape of catgut."
"Preserved under the rock-hard amber varnish was a beautifully crafted mythological scene depicting a nude man in a lush landscape playing a violoncello to a rapt audience of peaceful animals, including a jaguar, lion, swan, fox, peacock, horse, parrot, dogs, badger, deer, bull, ostrich, and no less than an elephant coming over the hill to join them."

Etymology

A borrowing of Italian violoncello (“little violone”), from violone (“an early form of the double bass”) + -cello (“-elle”, forming diminutives), violone itself being derived from viola + -one (“-oon”, forming augmentatives).

Origin

Source language: Italian

Word Breakdown

Root: violoncello

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌvaɪələnˈt͡ʃɛloʊ/
British English: /ˌvaɪələnˈtʃɛləʊ/

Inflected Forms

violoncellos (plural) violoncelli (plural)

Derived Forms

violoncellist

Synonyms

cello

Rhymes With

fellow hello yellow mellow cello 'cello jello bellow jell-o portobello bordello limoncello

Questions

How do you pronounce violoncello?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌvaɪələnˈt͡ʃɛloʊ/.
What does violoncello mean?: Synonym of cello.
Where does violoncello come from?: It is traced to Italian.

How to pronounce violoncello

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