Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wax and wane

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.80 in modern English

Syllables
wax and wane
IPA
24
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To progress cyclically through various phases, such as growth and senescence.

verb

To alternate; to increase and diminish in turn.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Literally, “grow and shrink”. Compare wax with the German cognate wachsen (“to grow”). Originally (c. 14th century) used referring to the phases of the Moon. Folk etymology has occasionally mistakenly presumed the phrase to be a reference to candles, under the notion that they are produced by applying wax to a wick and then begin to wane once they are lit.

Inflected Forms

waxes and wanes (present, singular) waxing and waning (participle, present) waxed and waned (participle, past) waxed and waned (past)

Synonyms

ebb and flow

Questions

What does wax and wane mean?
To progress cyclically through various phases, such as growth and senescence.
Where does wax and wane come from?
Literally, “grow and shrink”. Compare wax with the German cognate wachsen (“to grow”). Originally (c. 14th century) used referring to the phases of the Moon. Folk etymology has occasionally mistakenly presumed the phrase to be a reference to candles, under the notion that they are produced by applying wax to a wick and then begin to wane once they are lit.

How to pronounce wax and wane

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