How to pronounce capital
American English pronunciation
KAP-ih-tul
- IPA
- /ˈkæpɪtəl/
- Syllables
- KAP · ih · tul (3 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What capital means
Most people know capital in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
The carved top part of a column
In a sentence: Stone leaves curl around the capital at the top of each column in the old library.
Where it comes from: It comes from Latin capitellum, a little head, from caput, head. The city and money meanings also go back to caput, but by a different path.
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