Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

backwoods

/ˈbækˌwʊdz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.74 in modern English

Syllables: back-woods
IPA: /ˈbækˌwʊdz/

21

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Partly or wholly uncleared forest, especially in North America.

noun

A remote or sparsely inhabited region, especially in North America; away from big towns and from the influence of modern life.

adj

Pertaining to the backwoods.

adj

Rough, uncouth, coarse, or crude in social matters.

Example Sentences

"about that time, you may[…]reckon, if like me you belong to the back-woods, that I began to make up my acquaintance with hard times, and a plenty of them."
"It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by."

Etymology

From back + woods.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbækˌwʊdz/
British English: /ˈbak.wʊdz/

Derived Forms

backwoodser backwoodsman backwoodsy

Frequently Paired Words

blackwood

Synonyms

backwood back country boondocks hinterland

Rhymes With

goods woods hoods

Questions

How do you pronounce backwoods?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbækˌwʊdz/.
What does backwoods mean?: Partly or wholly uncleared forest, especially in North America.
Where does backwoods come from?: From back + woods.

How to pronounce backwoods

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