Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alt.

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.81 in modern English

Syllables: al-t.
IPA

3

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Abbreviation of alternative.

adj

Abbreviation of alternative.

prefix

Indicates a newsgroup, as used in fictional or hypothetical newsgroup names.

Example Sentences

"You've got your own newsgroup, alt.total-loser."
"I was trying to say...Danny boy left the room during your hat sentence. He's gone back to alt.elitist.impatient-arrogant-farts-with-nsoh"
"If you're only interested in a socialist love-in, perhaps you should go to alt.bliss.ninnies?"

Etymology

For the "prefix", the alt.* hierarchy was one of the largest sections of the online discussion system Usenet. In contrast to the "mainstream" hierarchies, such as comp.* which related specifically to computing, alt.* was the "alternative" hierarchy where opinions were shared on a wide range of miscellaneous subjects.

Questions

What does alt. mean?: Abbreviation of alternative.
Where does alt. come from?: For the "prefix", the alt.* hierarchy was one of the largest sections of the online discussion system Usenet. In contrast to the "mainstream" hierarchies, such as comp.* which related specifically to computing, alt.* was the "alternative" hierarchy where opinions were shared on a wide range of miscellaneous subjects.

How to pronounce alt.

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