Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

chesterton's fence

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.42 in modern English

Syllables
chester-ton's fence
IPA
26
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood.

Uncountable

Etymology

From a parable by G.K. Chesterton, suggesting that one should not remove a fence until one learns why it was erected in the first place.

Usage

Questions

What does chesterton's fence mean?
The principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood.
Where does chesterton's fence come from?
From a parable by G.K. Chesterton, suggesting that one should not remove a fence until one learns why it was erected in the first place.

How to pronounce chesterton's fence

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  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “chesterton's fence” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.