Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

a lot

/ə ˈlɑt/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.60 in modern English

Syllables: a lot
IPA: /ə ˈlɑt/

4

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

pron

A large amount.

Informal

pron

Many things, much.

adv

Very much; a great deal; to a large extent.

Informal

adv

Often; frequently.

Informal

adj

Difficult to handle emotionally.

Informal

adj

too much, busy.

adj

dramatic, extra.

Slang

Example Sentences

"I have a lot of things to say."
"A whole lot of water is flowing from under the sink."
"Jay's seeing a lot of Linda lately."
"A lot depends on whether your parents agree."
"Thanks a lot for listening to me."
"It's a lot harder than it looks."

Etymology

See lot.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ə ˈlɑt/
British English: /ə ˈlɒt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

alot (alternative, nonstandard) allot (alternative, misspelling)

Phrases

a lottle do a lot of work

Frequently Paired Words

alot lots somewhat to an extent

Synonyms

immensely loads tons lots a good deal a great deal

Homonyms

allot

Antonyms

a bit above a bit absolutely sorely widely horribly horrendously bone abundantly all too all but good

Rhymes With

not got lot water lot shot hot not so hot cannot white-hot red-hot spot scott

Questions

How do you pronounce a lot?: The recorded pronunciation is /ə ˈlɑt/.
What does a lot mean?: A large amount.
Where does a lot come from?: See lot.

How to pronounce a lot

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