Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shoestring

/ˈʃustɹɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.65 in modern English

Syllables
shoe-string
IPA
/ˈʃustɹɪŋ/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The string or lace used to secure a shoe to the foot; a shoelace.

American usage

noun

An object that is long and thin, like a shoestring (sense 1).

noun

An object that is long and thin, like a shoestring (sense 1).

noun

Chiefly in on a shoestring: very little money; a tight budget.

adj

Of a catch or tackle: made near the ground, close to a player's shoes.

American usage

verb

To tackle (a player) using a shoestring tackle (“one made near the ground, close to a player's shoes”).

Transitive verb

verb

To catch (a ball) using a shoestring catch (“one made near the ground, close to a player's shoes”).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

The noun is derived from shoe + string. The adjective is derived from the noun, while the verb is derived from terms such as shoestring catch and shoestring tackle.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈʃustɹɪŋ/
  • British English: /ˈʃuːstɹɪŋ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

shoestrings (plural) shoestrings (present, singular) shoestringing (participle, present) shoestringed (participle, past) shoestringed (past)

Derived Forms

shoestringer

Phrases

devil's shoestring on a shoestring prairie shoestring shoestring annexation shoestring fern shoestring French fry shoestring fry shoestring fungus

Frequently Paired Words

bootstring

Synonyms

shoelace shoe lace shoe string

Questions

How do you pronounce shoestring?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʃustɹɪŋ/.
What does shoestring mean?
The string or lace used to secure a shoe to the foot; a shoelace.
Where does shoestring come from?
The noun is derived from shoe + string. The adjective is derived from the noun, while the verb is derived from terms such as shoestring catch and shoestring tackle.

How to pronounce shoestring

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