Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clunky

/klˈʌŋki/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.84 in modern English

Syllables: clunky
IPA: /klˈʌŋki/

15

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Ungainly; awkward; inelegant; cumbersome.

Informal

adj

Being or making a clunk sound.

Example Sentences

"That tomboy's clothing is rather clunky."
"At a time when Mr. Cameron is being squeezed from both sides — from the right by members of his own party and by the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe U.K. Independence Party, and from the left by his Liberal Democrat coalition partners — the move seemed uncharacteristically clunky."
"You might find yourself listening to the sound your car door makes when it shuts. Is it a cheap tinny sound or a strong clunky sound like the VW?"

Etymology

From clunk + -y.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: clunk

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

clunkier (comparative) clunkiest (superlative)

Derived Forms

clunkily clunkiness

Synonyms

gawky clumsy ungainly unwieldy

Rhymes With

monkey funky chunky junkie hunky spunky junky punky blue monkey snow monkey skunky gunky

Questions

How do you pronounce clunky?: The recorded pronunciation is /klˈʌŋki/.
What does clunky mean?: Ungainly; awkward; inelegant; cumbersome.
Where does clunky come from?: From clunk + -y.

How to pronounce clunky

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