''contralto'' ▫ᴱᴺ Entries

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''contralto'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260611002141-00-⌔

contralto - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Noun

contralto (plural contraltos or contralti)

• (music) The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody.
  • ✤ As for her dress, it was invariably rich, effective, and chic, yet in good taste. Lastly, her feet and hands were astonishing, and her voice a deep contralto.¹
  • ✤ Out in the yard a womanʼs hoarse contralto intoned a hymn.²

Etymology

Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/, /kɒnˈtɹɑːltəʊ/
• Audio (Southern England): 🔊
• Audio (US): 🔊
• Rhymes: -æltəʊ, -ɑːltəʊ

Printed 2026-06-28.

(echo:: @ ⌗)

Footnotes

1. 1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter III, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth ‎${}^{[1]}$: ↩

2. 1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 68: ↩

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