Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

logjam

/lˈɑɡdʒˌæm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.07 in modern English

Syllables: log-jam
IPA: /lˈɑɡdʒˌæm/

16

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.

noun

A clog or such jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress.

verb

To deliberately impede or delay the progress of.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Efforts to amend the law got sidetracked in an administrative logjam."
"Mr. Clinton can break the logjam by first convincing the public that he is willing to start with small but meaningful victories."
"It is in the interest of all NATO and E.U. members to break political logjams. Our personnel operating in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Gulf of Aden have already learned that lesson."

Etymology

From log + jam.

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

logjams (plural) logjams (present, singular) logjamming (participle, present) logjammed (participle, past) logjammed (past)

Phrases

Catch-22 traffic jam vicious circle

Frequently Paired Words

bottleneck Catch-22 traffic jam vicious circle

Questions

How do you pronounce logjam?: The recorded pronunciation is /lˈɑɡdʒˌæm/.
What does logjam mean?: An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.
Where does logjam come from?: From log + jam.

How to pronounce logjam

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