noun
Common
te
tee
Te (noun) means In solfège (the do-re-mi system used in music), the syllable for the seventh note of a major scale. Example: “The choir leader asked us to sing te a little higher.”
noun
1
In solfège (the do-re-mi system used in music), the syllable for the seventh note of a major scale.
"The choir leader asked us to sing te a little higher."
"In solfège, te comes just before the final do at the top."
"The scale runs do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, te, do."
How to use te
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe sung name for the seventh step of a musical scale, as in "do-re-mi."
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Word forms
- Plural
- tes
Fill the gap
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The choir leader asked us to sing _____ a little higher.
Etymology
Adapted in the 19th century from the earlier syllable "si," changed so that no two notes of the scale began with the same letter.
Class of 1800
te joined the language around 1800.
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Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “te” mean?
The word “te” means in solfège (the do-re-mi system used in music), the syllable for the seventh note of a major scale. In plain terms, the sung name for the seventh step of a musical scale, as in "do-re-mi.".
How do you pronounce “te”?
“Te” is pronounced tee (/tiː/ in IPA).
How do you use “te” in a sentence?
Here is “te” used in a sentence: “The scale runs do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, te, do.”
What part of speech is “te”?
“Te” is a noun.
Where does the word “te” come from?
The word “te” dates back to around 1800. Adapted in the 19th century from the earlier syllable "si," changed so that no two notes of the scale began with the same letter.
Is “te” a common word?
“Te” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between te and ti in solfège?
Te and ti are two spellings of the same solfège syllable, the seventh note of a major scale. Te is the usual spelling in the British tonic sol-fa tradition, while ti is more common in North America; in some chromatic solfège systems, however, te stands for the lowered (flattened) seventh, with ti kept for the natural seventh.
Why is the seventh note called te instead of si?
The seventh syllable was originally si, but it was changed in the tonic sol-fa system so that every syllable would begin with a different letter, since s was already taken by sol (so). Spelling it te, or ti, gave the seventh note its own initial letter, t, which is useful for abbreviated notation.
What are the solfège syllables in order?
The syllables of a major scale in order are do, re, mi, fa, sol (often sung as "so"), la and te (also spelled ti), returning to do at the octave. Te is the seventh and final syllable before the scale repeats.
Is te a valid word in Scrabble?
Te is accepted in major Scrabble word lists as a name for the seventh note of the musical scale, making it a useful two-letter play. Because two-letter words vary between editions and word lists, it is worth confirming it in the specific dictionary your game uses.
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