Meaning & use
melodica
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small keyboard instrument that you blow into to make sound, held in both hands.
Grammar: Countable: a melodica, two melodicas.
Patterns
- play the melodica
- a melodica player
She plays the melodica in a ska band.
He bought a red melodica for his daughter's birthday.
The melodica sounds like a cross between a harmonica and an accordion.
Word forms
| plural | melodicas |
|---|
Common combinations
- play the melodica
- He learned to play the melodica in just a few weeks.
- melodica solo
- The song features a haunting melodica solo.
- blow into a melodica
- You blow into a melodica while pressing the keys.
Synonyms and how they differ
- keyboard
- A general term for any instrument with keys, but not necessarily blown; melodica is more specific.
Commonly confused: melodica or harmonica?
melodica vs harmonica
A harmonica is a small wind instrument played by blowing and drawing air through holes, without keys; a melodica has a keyboard.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'melodica' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A melodica is played by blowing into it while pressing keys, so option 1 is correct. Option 0 is wrong because 'melodica' is not a melody; option 2 is wrong because it is not a drum; option 3 is less accurate because melodicas are not typically tuned.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “melodica”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.