Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hokey pokey

/hoʊ̯ki poʊ̯ki/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.28 in modern English

Syllables: hokey pokey
IPA: /hoʊ̯ki poʊ̯ki/

29

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Alternative spelling of Hokey Pokey (“dance”).

Uncountable

noun

A confection made from golden syrup, white sugar, and baking soda; honeycomb toffee

New Zealand usage; Uncountable

noun

Vanilla ice cream with small pieces of honeycomb toffee.

Australian usage; New Zealand usage; Uncountable

noun

A group dance performed in a circle, in which people move a variety of their body parts in and out of the middle, and shake them about.

Australian usage; Canadian usage; American usage

Example Sentences

"So he choreographs each event depending on the crowd, starting with something to learn the drill, like “Marching Through Georgia,” working in something to loosen people up like the hokeypokey, and probably a contra dance (long lines, not squares) like the Virginia reel."

Etymology

Unknown, compare the earlier-attested names for similar group circle dances from which the modern dance seems to have evolved, hinkumbooby from the 19th century and hankin booby from the 16th.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /hoʊ̯ki poʊ̯ki/

Usage

Inflected Forms

hokey pokeys (plural) hokey-pokey (alternative) hokeypokey (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

hokey

Synonyms

honeycomb toffee honeycomb cinder toffee sponge toffee seafoam candy Hokey Cokey hokey tokey

Rhymes With

low-key poke smoky loki smokey hokey pokey toki okie oaky folky cokey

Questions

How do you pronounce hokey pokey?: The recorded pronunciation is /hoʊ̯ki poʊ̯ki/.
What does hokey pokey mean?: Alternative spelling of Hokey Pokey (“dance”).
Where does hokey pokey come from?: Unknown, compare the earlier-attested names for similar group circle dances from which the modern dance seems to have evolved, hinkumbooby from the 19th century and hankin booby from the 16th.

How to pronounce hokey pokey

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