How to pronounce periphrasis
Say it like puh-RIF-ruh-sis. Periphrasis has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RIF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce periphrasis. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- puh
- RIF
- ruh
- sis
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Periphrasis pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- puhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- RIFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ruhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- sisKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of periphrasis
American and British speakers say periphrasis in essentially the same way: /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/ in the US and /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/ in the UK.
British respelling: puh-RIF-ruh-sis.
What does periphrasis mean?
- The use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".
- Expressing a grammatical meaning (such as a tense) using a syntactic construction rather than morphological marking.“Language learners sometimes use periphrases like "did go" where a native speaker would use "went".”
- The substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a type of circumlocution).
Questions about saying periphrasis
How do you pronounce periphrasis?
Say puh-RIF-ruh-sis. The American pronunciation is /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/. In British English it is /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in periphrasis?
Periphrasis has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (RIF). Broken into parts: puh · RIF · ruh · sis.
Do Americans and Brits say periphrasis the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/ and the British form is /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.