Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

whirligig

/ˈwɝ.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.83 in modern English

Syllables
whirligig
IPA
/ˈwɝ.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.

noun

A device incorporating spinning, wind-driven propellers or pinwheels, used as whimsical outdoor decoration in a garden or on a porch.

noun

Ellipsis of whirligig beetle.

noun

A device for punishing prisoners, comprising a wooden cage that rapidly spins around to induce nausea.

verb

To spin or twirl about quickly.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English whyrlegygge; equivalent to whirl (noun or verb) + gig (“a top”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈwɝ.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/
  • British English: /ˈwɜː.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/

Inflected Forms

whirligigs (plural) whirlgig (alternative) whirlygig (alternative) whirligigs (present, singular) whirligigging (participle, present) whirligigged (participle, past) whirligigged (past)

Phrases

whirligig beetle whirligig of time yo-yo

Frequently Paired Words

yo-yo

Synonyms

carousel carrousel merry-go-round roundabout top teetotum spinning top

Questions

How do you pronounce whirligig?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɝ.lɪ.ɡɪɡ/.
What does whirligig mean?
Anything that whirls or spins around, such as a toy top or a merry-go-round.
Where does whirligig come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce whirligig

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