Staccato: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Staccato adjective. With each note or sound short and sharply separated from the next.
How to say it
stuh-KAH-toh/stəˈkɑːtəʊ/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (KAH).
Staccato in a sentence
The violins play the opening bars staccato, like raindrops on a tin roof.
She fired off staccato questions: name, age, reason for visit.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- clipped
- abrupt
- detached
- choppy
Opposite:
- legato
- flowing
Where staccato comes from
Italian for detached, from staccare, to separate.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
She fired off _____ questions: name, age, reason for visit.
- anaemic
- staccato
- lyrical
Show the answer
staccato: She fired off staccato questions: name, age, reason for visit.