Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bel-

/bɛl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.42 in modern English

Syllables: bel-
IPA: /bɛl/

5

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

prefix

A prefix equivalent to grand-

Obsolete

prefix

Alternative form of Belgo-.

Example Sentences

"belchild (“grandchild”)"
"beldame (“grandmother”)"
"belsire (“grandfather”)"

Etymology

From Middle English bel (“fair, excellent"; in compounds "great-, grand-”), from Anglo-Norman bel, Old French bel (“beautiful, noble, honorable”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: bel

Usage

Obsolete

Questions

How do you pronounce bel-?: The recorded pronunciation is /bɛl/.
What does bel- mean?: A prefix equivalent to grand-
Where does bel- come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce bel-

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