Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

billet-doux

/ˈbɪl.eɪ ˈdu/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.83 in modern English

Syllables: bil-let--doux
IPA: /ˈbɪl.eɪ ˈdu/

20

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Example Sentences

""O heavenly, heavenly flowers!" exclaimed Miss Sharp, and smelt them delicately, and held them to her bosom, and cast up her eyes to the ceiling, in an ecstasy of admiration. Perhaps she just looked first into the bouquet, to see whether there was a billet-doux hidden among the flowers; but there was no letter."
"Adonis calls for a 'pick-me-up' before he has strength enough to answer a billet-doux from Venus."
"When he offered her his hand, she would refuse it—not because she “knew her place,” but because she did not love him. [...] Her corded trunk, heavier by another packet of billets-doux and a month’s salary in advance, was soon carried up the stairs of some other house."

Etymology

Borrowed from French billet doux (literally “sweet note”).

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: billet doux

Inflected Forms

billets-doux (plural) billet doux (alternative)

Phrases

dolce far niente dolce vita

Frequently Paired Words

dulcet dolce far niente dolce vita

Questions

How do you pronounce billet-doux?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɪl.eɪ ˈdu/.
What does billet-doux mean?: A love letter.
Where does billet-doux come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce billet-doux

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “billet-doux”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɪl.eɪ ˈdu/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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