Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tacky

/ˈtæki/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.18 in modern English

Syllables: tacky
IPA: /ˈtæki/

14

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of a substance, slightly sticky.

adj

Of low quality.

Colloquial

adj

Colloquial

adj

Gaudy or flashy.

adj

Shabby, dowdy in one's appearance or dress.

noun

Alternative form of tackey.

Example Sentences

"This paint isn't dry yet; it's still a bit tacky."
"That market stall sells all sorts of tacky ornaments."
"That was a tacky thing to say."
"Steve Randle was seventeen, tall and lean, with thick greasy hair he kept combed in complicated swirls. He was tacky, smart, and Soda's best buddy since grade school."

Etymology

From tack + -y.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: tack

Usage

Colloquial

Inflected Forms

tackier (comparative) tackiest (superlative) tackies (plural)

Derived Forms

tackily tackiness untacky

Phrases

ticky-tacky

Synonyms

flashy showy garish dowdy brassy cheap flash gaudy gimcrack loud meretricious tatty

Homonyms

takhi

Rhymes With

jackie iraqi wacky mackey mackie lackey jacky blackie jacki macchi jakie lackie

Questions

How do you pronounce tacky?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtæki/.
What does tacky mean?: Of a substance, slightly sticky.
Where does tacky come from?: From tack + -y.

How to pronounce tacky

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