twang
/ˈtweɪ̯ŋ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.56 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The sharp, quick sound of a vibrating tight string, for example, of a bow or a musical instrument.
noun
A particular sharp vibrating sound characteristic of electric guitars.
noun
A sharp, pungent taste or flavor; sometimes, a disagreeable one specifically.
Example Sentences
- "Let me give you in rude recitation, with here and there a twang and a caper of the guitar-strings, my vision of the Cid's sally from his besieged castle of Alcocer—the first outburst of that Spanish deluge that never receded till it rose over the dead body of the last Moor."
- "Despite having lived in Canada for 20 years, he still has that Eastern European twang in his voice."
- "A few insinuated that the American was not first-rate in Shakespeare, and one or two snidely detected a twang of the backwoods in his accent; […]"
- "Judging by the new voice over the PA, we've had a crew change in Plymouth - the warning about masks and the apology for lack of catering is made in a chirpy Cockney twang rather than a West Country burr."
- "Near-synonym: nasality"
- "nasal twang"
Etymology
Onomatopoeic. Compare Middle English twengen (“to pinch, tweak”) (whence modern English twinge), from Old English twenġan (“to pinch, twinge”); Middle English twingen (“to afflict, torment, oppress”), from Old Norse þvinga (“to weigh down, oppress”); Old English twingan (“to force, press”).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtweɪ̯ŋ/