What does mellifluous mean?
Word: Mellifluous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Mellifluous means sweet and smooth to listen to, especially of a voice or of music.
Synonyms: sweet-sounding, dulcet
Antonyms: harsh, grating
Word origin: Comes from the late Latin word mellifluus, built on the Latin words mel and fluere.
How do you spell mellifluous?
Syllables: mel - lif - lu - ous
Tricky part: The opening is the trouble spot: students hear one l and write melifluous.
Watch out for: melifluous, meliflous
Memory tip: Copy the opening of mellow, a word for soft and gentle sound, double letter and all.
Mellifluous in a sentence
Example 1: The evening raga flowed from her flute in long, mellifluous phrases.
Example 2: Everyone at the assembly fell quiet when the mellifluous voice of the visiting poet began.
Example 3: He spoke Urdu in a mellifluous way that made even a shopping list sound like verse.
Fun Fact
Indian music writers often use this word for the singing voice of Lata Mangeshkar, who recorded songs for films over more than seven decades.
Practise the CREST Way
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Mel, the Latin word at the start of mellifluous, means ___.
a) silver
b) honey
c) moonlight
d) milk
Show answer
b) honey. The sound of such a voice was pictured as something sweet flowing from a jar.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) sumptuous
b) ingenuous
c) melliffluous
d) superfluous
Show answer
c) melliffluous. Only one f is needed, the same as in superfluous.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
slumfuelilo
a) lasting for a very short time
b) flowing gently on the ear
c) hard to see through clearly
d) ready to quarrel with anyone
Show answer
b) flowing gently on the ear. Sort the eleven letters and you reach mellifluous, a word for lovely sound.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
The presenter's mellifluous voice kept the whole family listening until the programme ended, and my grandfather recomended the show to all his neighbours.
a) 2
b) 4
c) 1
d) 3
Show answer
c) 1. Only recommended is wrong, since it needs two m's; mellifluous, programme and neighbours are correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you most expect to read the word mellifluous?
a) in a recipe for mango pickle
b) in a report on road repairs
c) in a review of a classical concert
d) in a list of evening bus timings
Show answer
c) in a review of a classical concert
2. Which sound is least likely to be called mellifluous?
a) a drill breaking up a road
b) a lullaby sung at bedtime
c) a cello played softly
d) a bamboo flute at dusk
Show answer
a) a drill breaking up a road
