Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

underline

/ˈʌndɚˌlaɪn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.98 in modern English

Syllables: un-der-line
IPA: /ˈʌndɚˌlaɪn/

10

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A line placed underneath a piece of text in order to provide emphasis or to indicate that it should be viewed in italics or (in electronic documents) that it acts as a hyperlink.

noun

The character _.

noun

An announcement of a theatrical performance to follow, placed in an advertisement for the current one.

Dated

noun

A caption beneath a photograph (which may have more than one line of text).

Dated

verb

To draw a line underneath something, especially to add emphasis.

verb

To emphasise or stress something.

verb

To influence secretly.

Obsolete

adj

Passing under a railway line.

Example Sentences

"Several readers [...] write to point out that the ex-Great Eastern 0-6-0s now classified as "J20" in the L.N.E.R. lists, no longer hold the supremacy for power among British 0-6-0 locomotives as suggested in the underline to the photograph of one of them which appeared on p. 100 of the March-April issue."
"underline the important words in the text"
"The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men."
"By mere chance in appearance, though underlined with a providence, they had a full light of the infanta."
"Just as it was sometimes necessary to lower the road to take it beneath an underline bridge, so in this case it might be necessary to raise it."
"A minute was saved by smart working at Ipswich, but soon after came yet another delay, a 10 m.p.h. slack over an underline bridge being reconstructed between Bramford and Claydon."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Indo-European *h₂én Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi ? Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English line English underline From under- + line.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈʌndɚˌlaɪn/
British English: /ˈʌndəˌlaɪn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

underlines (plural) underlines (present, singular) underlining (participle, present) underlined (participle, past) underlined (past)

Derived Forms

underlinable underlinement underliner

Phrases

asterisk and asterism at sign degree symbol number sign vertical bar

Frequently Paired Words

bold boldface embolden italicize strike through ampersand asterisk and asterism at sign

Synonyms

underscore low line emphasize emphasise

Questions

How do you pronounce underline?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʌndɚˌlaɪn/.
What does underline mean?: A line placed underneath a piece of text in order to provide emphasis or to indicate that it should be viewed in italics or (in electronic documents) that it acts as a hyperlink.
Where does underline come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Indo-European *h₂én Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi ? Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English line English underline From under- + line.

How to pronounce underline

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