Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.56 in modern English

Syllables
bet-ter -to -light a s-in-gle -can-dle than -to curse the -dark-ness
IPA
71
Scrabble Score
48
Letters
11
Syllables
16
Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

Even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.

Etymology

Often claimed to be an ancient Chinese proverb. Also often misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Earliest known usage is a 1907 sermon by English preacher William Lonsdale Watkinson.

Inflected Forms

better to light one candle than to curse the darkness (alternative) better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness (alternative) better to light a candle than to curse the darkness (alternative)

Questions

What does better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness mean?
Even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.
Where does better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness come from?
Often claimed to be an ancient Chinese proverb. Also often misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Earliest known usage is a 1907 sermon by English preacher William Lonsdale Watkinson.

How to pronounce better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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