Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scratch-built

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.11 in modern English

Syllables
scratch-built
IPA
21
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of a building: built ad hoc, with whatever materials are to hand, and often just from ground level.

adj

Of a structure, e.g. a car, model or toy: built with minimal cost and at short notice, with rudimentary materials.

Etymology

As from scratch.

Phrases

custom-built jerry-built jury-rigged purpose-built

Frequently Paired Words

custom-built homebuilt homemade jerry-built jury-rigged purpose-built vernacular

Questions

What does scratch-built mean?
Of a building: built ad hoc, with whatever materials are to hand, and often just from ground level.
Where does scratch-built come from?
As from scratch.

How to pronounce scratch-built

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scratch-built”.
  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 “scratch-built”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “scratch-built” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.