Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

smart aleck

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.17 in modern English

Syllables
smart aleck
IPA
18
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
1
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who is given to obnoxious or insolent humor.

noun

One who is pretentious about their own cleverness or knowledge.

noun

One who is obnoxiously self-assured; a show off.

noun

A well-dressed person.

Etymology

Aleck is a nickname for the male given name Alexander. The phrase smart aleck is possibly derived from the name of Aleck Hoag, a 19th-century American con man and thief.

Inflected Forms

smart alecks (plural) smart alec (alternative)

Phrases

smart-aleck smart-aleckism smart-alecky

Frequently Paired Words

smartass

Synonyms

wise guy smarty smarty pants smartmouth wise aleck know-it-all clever dick smart ass wise ass wiseacre Buddha clever clogs

Questions

What does smart aleck mean?
One who is given to obnoxious or insolent humor.
Where does smart aleck come from?
Aleck is a nickname for the male given name Alexander. The phrase smart aleck is possibly derived from the name of Aleck Hoag, a 19th-century American con man and thief.

How to pronounce smart aleck

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