Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pitter-patter

/ˈpɪt.ɚˈpæt.ɚ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.07 in modern English

Syllables: pit-ter--pat-ter
IPA: /ˈpɪt.ɚˈpæt.ɚ/

16

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

5

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A soft, percussive sound, as of tiny feet, or of rain on a rooftop; patter.

Uncountable

verb

To patter; to scurry.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"Once or twice I heard a faint pitter-patter like the feet of the dog going hither and thither on the sand far below me, and there were more bird-like sounds, but that was all."
"This yearning to hear the pitter-patter of penguin feet is no sudden whim. When a teen-ager, I entertained thoughts of the two of us walking side-by-side on the beach or strolling through shopping centers. As time passed, I knew I must take action or go penguinless through life."
"Pitter-patter the rain falling down / Little glamor sun coming round / Take a walk when autumn comes to town"
"The rain was coming down heavier now, the drops pitter-pattering on the roof of the truck."

Etymology

Reduplication of patter.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpɪt.ɚˈpæt.ɚ/
British English: /ˈpɪt.əˈpæt.ə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

pitter-patters (present, singular) pitter-pattering (participle, present) pitter-pattered (participle, past) pitter-pattered (past)

Synonyms

pit-a-pat pitty-patty pitty-pat patter sprinkle spit spatter

Questions

How do you pronounce pitter-patter?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪt.ɚˈpæt.ɚ/.
What does pitter-patter mean?: A soft, percussive sound, as of tiny feet, or of rain on a rooftop; patter.
Where does pitter-patter come from?: Reduplication of patter.

How to pronounce pitter-patter

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pitter-patter”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɪt.ɚˈpæt.ɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pitter-patter”.
Repeat and practice — Say “pitter-patter” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.