sopranino

9.9

A very high singing voice or a small instrument that sounds higher than most voices

adjective
/səˈprænɪnoʊ/

Specialized

: sopranino

She played a beautiful melody on her sopranino recorder, impressing the audience with its bright sound.

Examples

The composer wrote a part specifically for a sopranino saxophone in the new jazz piece.
In the choir, the rare sopranino voice soared above even the sopranos.
The sopranino recorder is often used in children's music classes.
Can you play the sopranino flute in the concert?
In the choir, the rare sopranino voice soared above even the sopranos.
She played a beautiful melody on her sopranino recorder, impressing the audience with its bright sound.
The sopranino recorder is often used in children's music classes.

Synonyms

altissimo

vssopranino

Specialized

9.9

Very high notes above the normal range of a voice or instrument

is the specific highest range that lies above the soprano pitch

How High

sopranino

Specialized

9.9

soprano

5.3

mezzo-soprano

Specialized

2 6.9

alto

5.4

contralto

Specialized

7.8

Surface Forms

sopranino positive

Morphology

sopranino = soprano (semi-transparent) = soprano + ino

Derived from 'soprano' with the Italian diminutive suffix '-ino' indicating a smaller/higher-pitched member of the soprano family; learners familiar with musical terms may infer the meaning but others may not know the function of '-ino'.

Etymology

The word sopranino comes from Italian and is a small form of soprano, with the ending -ino meaning 'little', so it literally means 'little soprano'. That's why a sopranino voice or instrument is even higher in pitch than a soprano.