Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

linebacker

/lˈaɪnbˌækɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.36 in modern English

Syllables: line-backer
IPA: /lˈaɪnbˌækɚ/

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The defensive players who are in position behind the defensive linemen and in front of the safeties and cornerbacks and whose principal responsibilities are to tackle runners and to defend against shorter passes.

Example Sentences

"The linebacker corralled the runner who had slipped through the hole."
"While Brown distracted the usually hyperfocused Mangini, safety Kerry Rhodes and linebackers Eric Barton and Jonathan Vilma grabbed a cooler of Gatorade and surreptitiously assumed their positions according to plan."
"Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans defended Azeez Al-Shaair after the linebacker was ejected from Sunday’s game for throwing a late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence."

Etymology

From line + backer.

Inflected Forms

linebackers (plural)

Synonyms

line backer

Questions

How do you pronounce linebacker?: The recorded pronunciation is /lˈaɪnbˌækɚ/.
What does linebacker mean?: The defensive players who are in position behind the defensive linemen and in front of the safeties and cornerbacks and whose principal responsibilities are to tackle runners and to defend against shorter passes.
Where does linebacker come from?: From line + backer.

How to pronounce linebacker

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