French word

écho

Pronunciation

IPA/eko/

Meaning

  • masculine nounecho

Example

Il y a un écho de ses pas dans le tunnel.

There is an echo of his footsteps in the tunnel.

Illustration for écho (echo)

More examples

Sa remarque a fait écho à ce que je pensais.

His remark echoed what I was thinking.

Core concept

A voice or noise reflected by rock, masonry, or another surface and heard again after a short delay.

Common phrases

  • faire écho à

    echo

  • un écho sourd

    a dull echo

Similar words

son: Sound of any kind that can be heard.
voix: The speaking or singing voice of a person.

Definition in French

Répétition perceptible d'un son causée par la réflexion de ce son sur une surface ou dans un espace.

Word origin

The French noun écho was borrowed from Latin echo, which came from Greek ekhō and kept the basic idea of a returning sound.

Usage tips

  • In medical contexts, écho can abbreviate échographie, so context may distinguish an echo from an ultrasound scan.

Other meanings

  • reverberationnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word