Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

belles-lettres

/ˌbɛlˈlɛtɹ(ə)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.34 in modern English

Syllables: belles-let-tres
IPA: /ˌbɛlˈlɛtɹ(ə)/

15

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The humanities.

Obsolete; Uncountable

noun

Literature, particularly light compositions valued for their aesthetic properties.

Archaic; Uncountable

noun

Literary studies, particularly literary aesthetics.

Archaic; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"That vapid, half naturalized term ‘belles-lettres,’ which has had some currency as a substitute for the term ‘literature.’"

Etymology

Borrowed from French belles-lettres (“fine writings”), a parallel construction with the beaux arts (“fine arts”). Littré considered the belles-lettres to embrace grammar, rhetoric, and poetry. Sense embracing all of the humanities under the influence of Latin literae humaniores.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: belles-lettres

Usage

Inflected Forms

belles lettres (alternative) belles-letters (alternative) belle-lettre (alternative)

Phrases

belle-lettrist

Frequently Paired Words

belletrist belletristic

Synonyms

polite literature belles lettres

Questions

How do you pronounce belles-lettres?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɛlˈlɛtɹ(ə)/.
What does belles-lettres mean?: The humanities.
Where does belles-lettres come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce belles-lettres

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “belles-lettres”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌbɛlˈlɛtɹ(ə)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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