How to Pronounce Periphrasis

To pronounce "periphrasis", say PER-iphr-as-is — 4 syllables, IPA /pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

periphrasis

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Accent

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4

Syllables

11

Letters

/pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “periphrasis”

"periphrasis" has 4 syllables: per-iphr-as-is.

What does periphrasis mean?

noun

  1. The use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".
  2. Expressing a grammatical meaning (such as a tense) using a syntactic construction rather than morphological marking.

    “Language learners sometimes use periphrases like "did go" where a native speaker would use "went".”

Synonyms

beating around the bushcircumlocution

Related words

circumlocutionperiphraseantiphrasisampliatioantiphraseepiphrasisparalepsisparaphrasia

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "periphrasis"?▾

"Periphrasis" has 4 syllables: per · iphr · as · is.

What is the IPA transcription of "periphrasis"?▾

The IPA transcription of "periphrasis" is /pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/.

What does "periphrasis" mean?▾

Periphrasis: The use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".

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