Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wolverine

/ˌwʊlvəˈɹiːn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.44 in modern English

Syllables: wolver-ine
IPA: /ˌwʊlvəˈɹiːn/

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.

noun

A native or resident of the American state of Michigan.

noun

Someone associated with the University of Michigan, for example as a student, alum, or sports team member, or as a fan.

Example Sentences

"“Wish I'd been more polite to that girl,” the sheriff remarked regretfully. “I ain't had a bite to eat since four o'clock this morning, and I'm hungry as a wolverine. … I know she'd have give me another drink of that old moonshine she has.”"
"[The term "Sucker" is] The cognomen of the Illinoians, answering to the Buckeye of Ohio, the Wolverine of Michigan, the Corn-cracker of Kentucky, &c."

Etymology

1619; alteration of earlier wolvering (1574), diminutive of wolver (“ravenous or savage animal; person who behaves like a wolf”) (1593), ultimately from wolf.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌwʊlvəˈɹiːn/

Inflected Forms

wolverines (plural) wolverene (alternative) wolvering (alternative, obsolete)

Phrases

Gulo gulo

Frequently Paired Words

Gulo gulo

Synonyms

carcajou skunkbear glutton quickhatch beaver eater Michigander skunk bear gulo luscus

Rhymes With

between mean seen green clean scene machine queen screen marine dean routine

Questions

How do you pronounce wolverine?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌwʊlvəˈɹiːn/.
What does wolverine mean?: A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.
Where does wolverine come from?: 1619; alteration of earlier wolvering (1574), diminutive of wolver (“ravenous or savage animal; person who behaves like a wolf”) (1593), ultimately from wolf.

How to pronounce wolverine

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