Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shrike

/ʃɹaɪk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.39 in modern English

Syllables: shrike
IPA: /ʃɹaɪk/

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various passerine birds of the family Laniidae which are known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns.

Etymology

From Middle English *schrike, *schryke, from Old English sċrīc (“shrike, thrush”), from the same root as shriek and screech, named after the bird's cry. Compare Icelandic skríkja (“shrieker, shrike”), Swedish skrika (“jay”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *schrike, sċrīc

Inflected Forms

shrikes (plural)

Derived Forms

antshrike chatshrike cuckooshrike en helmetshrike peppershrike shrikebill shrikelike shrikethrush shriketit woodshrike

Phrases

African long-tailed shrike brown shrike bush shrike crow-shrike cuckoo shrike drongo shrike flycatcher-shrike great grey shrike

Synonyms

butcherbird

Rhymes With

like mike strike unlike bike alike spike hike dog spike dislike rail spike mic

Questions

How do you pronounce shrike?: The recorded pronunciation is /ʃɹaɪk/.
What does shrike mean?: Any of various passerine birds of the family Laniidae which are known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns.
Where does shrike come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce shrike

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