Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

catch no ball

/ˈkɛt͡ʃ no bɔː(l)/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.64 in modern English

Syllables
catch no ball
IPA
/ˈkɛt͡ʃ no bɔː(l)/
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
1
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

To fail to understand something; be unable to comprehend what others are saying.

Colloquial

Example Sentences

Etymology

Calque of Hokkien 掠無球 /掠无球 (lia̍h bô kiû, “to not understand”, literally “catch no ball”).

Usage

Inflected Forms

Questions

How do you pronounce catch no ball?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɛt͡ʃ no bɔː(l)/.
What does catch no ball mean?
To fail to understand something; be unable to comprehend what others are saying.
Where does catch no ball come from?
Calque of Hokkien 掠無球 /掠无球 (lia̍h bô kiû, “to not understand”, literally “catch no ball”).

How to pronounce catch no ball

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “catch no ball”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɛt͡ʃ no bɔː(l)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “catch no ball”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “catch no ball” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.