Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bas-relief

/ˌbɑ.ɹɪˈlif/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.22 in modern English

Syllables
bas-re-lief
IPA
/ˌbɑ.ɹɪˈlif/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A low or mostly-flat sculpture which is carved into a wall, or is in the form of a tile mounted flat to a wall, rather than a fully three-dimensional, free-standing figure.

Countable; Uncountable

adj

In the bas-relief style; low or mostly flat.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French bas-relief, from Italian bassorilievo, compound of basso (“low”) + rilievo (“relief”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: bas-relief, bassorilievo, relevare

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌbɑ.ɹɪˈlif/
  • British English: /ˈbæs.ɹɪˌliːf/

Usage

Inflected Forms

bas-reliefs (plural) basrelief (alternative) bas relief (alternative) bass-relief (alternative, archaic)

Synonyms

basso-relievo basso-rilievo low relief cavo-relievo cavo-rilievo intaglio-rilievo sunken relief cameo

Antonyms

alto-relievo high relief

Rhymes With

chief relief brief belief beef leaf grief thief reef disbelief motif sharif

Questions

How do you pronounce bas-relief?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɑ.ɹɪˈlif/.
What does bas-relief mean?
A low or mostly-flat sculpture which is carved into a wall, or is in the form of a tile mounted flat to a wall, rather than a fully three-dimensional, free-standing figure.
Where does bas-relief come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce bas-relief

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