metathesis
noun/məˈtæθəsɪs/
Frequency rank: #19,766 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)
Meaning
The transposition of sounds or letters within a word.
Example sentence
The word 'bird' developed from Old English 'brid' through metathesis, which swapped the positions of two sounds.
Synonyms & related words
- transposition
- reversal
- rearrangement
- switching
More words in ranks 19,701–19,800
- viviparousGiving birth to live offspring that develop inside the mother's body.
- creaminessthe quality of being smooth, rich, and thick like cream.
- elisionThe omission of a sound or syllable when speaking or writing, especially to aid pronunciation or meter.
- entablatureThe horizontal structure resting on columns in classical architecture, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice.
- immanenceThe quality of being present and operating within the world or a given domain, rather than existing beyond it.
- pleurathe thin membrane that lines the lungs and the inner chest wall.
- pyroxeneA group of dark silicate minerals common in igneous and metamorphic rocks, containing calcium, magnesium, or iron.
- seamountAn underwater mountain rising from the ocean floor but not reaching the surface.
- taprootthe main root of a plant that grows straight downward and gives off small lateral roots
- brittlenessThe quality of being hard but easily broken or cracked under pressure.