Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

the very idea

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.27 in modern English

Syllables: the very idea
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Used to indicate surprise or incredulity.

Example Sentences

"“Well, of all things!” cried the equally astonished Jane. “And here I have been wasting whole reams of perfectly good imagination picturing you in Baltimore—the very idea!” And she threw her arms about her friend once more, and kissed her a dozen times."

Questions

What does the very idea mean?: Used to indicate surprise or incredulity.

How to pronounce the very idea

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