Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

matchstick

/ˈmætʃstɪk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.19 in modern English

Syllables: match-stick
IPA: /ˈmætʃstɪk/

23

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small, slender piece of wood or cardboard serving as a component of a match.

noun

Any similarly small and thin piece.

Example Sentences

"Holonym: match"
"A piece of wood or cardboard becomes a matchstick once the end has been dipped in a sulfurous compound to turn it into a complete match."
"Local workers hike up the side of the mountain and down into the crater at the top to harvest its sulfur—a byproduct of the gas that escapes from the volcano’s vents and collects near the shores of an acidic lake at the crater’s center. The chemical is used in industry worldwide, from making matchsticks to vulcanizing rubber, but Ijen’s sulfur goes mostly to local factories, which use it to bleach sugar."
"The explosion blew the powder shed to matchsticks."

Etymology

From match + stick.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmætʃstɪk/

Inflected Forms

matchsticks (plural) match stick (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

matchbook matchbox matchcover matchhead

Synonyms

shred sliver splinter

Questions

How do you pronounce matchstick?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmætʃstɪk/.
What does matchstick mean?: A small, slender piece of wood or cardboard serving as a component of a match.
Where does matchstick come from?: From match + stick.

How to pronounce matchstick

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