Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

with a grain of salt

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.04 in modern English

Syllables
with- a -grain of salt
IPA
26
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
3
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

With a little common sense and skepticism.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Calque of Latin cum grānō salis , literally with a grain of salt, figuratively with a bit of common sense (from Pliny’s Pompey’s discovery of an antidote against poison to be taken with a grain of salt).

Phrases

with all the salt in the Dead Sea

Frequently Paired Words

with all the salt in the Dead Sea face value pinch of salt

Questions

What does with a grain of salt mean?
With a little common sense and skepticism.
Where does with a grain of salt come from?
Calque of Latin cum grānō salis , literally with a grain of salt, figuratively with a bit of common sense (from Pliny’s Pompey’s discovery of an antidote against poison to be taken with a grain of salt).

How to pronounce with a grain of salt

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  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 “with a grain of salt”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “with a grain of salt” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.