Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lindy effect

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.84 in modern English

Syllables
lindy -ef-fect
IPA
23
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

Example Sentences

Etymology

Inflected Forms

the Lindy effect (canonical)

Questions

What does lindy effect mean?
The hypothesized phenomenon that the future life expectancy of certain nonperishable things (such as a technology or an idea) is proportional to their current age, so that every additional period of survival implies a longer remaining life expectancy.
Where does lindy effect come from?
In reference to Lindy's delicatessen in New York, where comedians would meet to discuss showbusiness. This was discussed in "Lindy's Law", a 1964 article by Albert Goldman in The New Republic. Goldman described a folkloric belief that the amount of material comedians have is constant, and therefore the frequency of output predicts how long their series will last.

How to pronounce lindy effect

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lindy effect”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “lindy effect”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “lindy effect” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.