Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

false number 9

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.53 in modern English

Syllables: false num-ber 9
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An unconventional lone striker or centre-forward who drops deep into midfield.

Example Sentences

"not in his favoured midfield role, either but as a false No 9: the sort of role Guardiola only hands to his chosen, crystalline few: Mario Götze at Bayern Munich (less successfully), Lionel Messi at Barcelona (a little more so)."

Etymology

From the traditional use of the number 9 for centre-forwards, and the difference from a traditional centre-forward, who would stay near the line of defenders until an opportunity arose to move past them toward goal.

Inflected Forms

false number 9s (plural)

Synonyms

false 9

Questions

What does false number 9 mean?: An unconventional lone striker or centre-forward who drops deep into midfield.
Where does false number 9 come from?: From the traditional use of the number 9 for centre-forwards, and the difference from a traditional centre-forward, who would stay near the line of defenders until an opportunity arose to move past them toward goal.

How to pronounce false number 9

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “false number 9”.
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