Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

the tail wags the dog

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.65 in modern English

Syllables
the -tail wags the -dog
IPA
29
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

A minor or secondary part of something is controlling or dominating the whole or the main part.

Example Sentences

Etymology

See tail wagging the dog.

Phrases

tail wagging the dog wag the dog

Frequently Paired Words

tail wagging the dog wag the dog

Questions

What does the tail wags the dog mean?
A minor or secondary part of something is controlling or dominating the whole or the main part.
Where does the tail wags the dog come from?
See tail wagging the dog.

How to pronounce the tail wags the dog

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