Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

epitome

/ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.28 in modern English

Syllables
epit-o-me
IPA
/ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.

noun

The height; the best; the most vivid.

noun

A brief summary of a text.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle French, from Latin epitomē, from Ancient Greek ἐπιτομή (epitomḗ, “an abridgment, also a surface-incision”), from ἐπιτέμνω (epitémnō, “to cut upon the surface, cut short, abridge”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “up”) + τέμνω (témnō, “to cut”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Prefix: ἐπι-
  • Root: *temh₁-, -, epitomē, ἐπιτομή

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/
  • British English: /əˈpɪt.ə.mi/

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce epitome?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪˈpɪt.ə.mi/.
What does epitome mean?
The embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.
Where does epitome come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce epitome

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