Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

softwood

/sˈɔftwˌʊd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.30 in modern English

Syllables: soft-wood
IPA: /sˈɔftwˌʊd/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The wood from any gymnosperm, without regard to its softness.

Uncountable

noun

Wood of this kind, but limited to those that are commercial timbers.

Countable

noun

The tree or tree species that yields this wood.

Countable

noun

Any commercial timber.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"The bodies are sheeted in softwood, a double layer of ⅝-in. boards on the quarters, with a single thickness lining inside the steel ends."
"SYP is a softwood, but it is harder than many hardwoods."
"This softwood has been planted extensively throughout Scotland."
"You should have used softwood for the frame of this shed, instead of overbuilding it like this."

Etymology

From soft + wood. The term refers to the seed coat, or absence thereof, of the tree's seeds; it does not refer to the degree of softness or hardness of the tree's wood, but it seems to do so and is usually assumed to do so by speakers not well informed about trees and timber.

Usage

Inflected Forms

softwoods (plural)

Phrases

camp wood

Frequently Paired Words

camp wood lumber hardwood

Synonyms

deal

Questions

How do you pronounce softwood?: The recorded pronunciation is /sˈɔftwˌʊd/.
What does softwood mean?: The wood from any gymnosperm, without regard to its softness.
Where does softwood come from?: From soft + wood. The term refers to the seed coat, or absence thereof, of the tree's seeds; it does not refer to the degree of softness or hardness of the tree's wood, but it seems to do so and is usually assumed to do so by speakers not well informed about trees and timber.

How to pronounce softwood

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