Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

balls-up

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.51 in modern English

Syllables
ball-s-up
IPA
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Something which becomes muddled or botched in some way.

British usage; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

Balls in this sense refers to testicles. See also the verb, to balls up and go balls up.

Usage

Inflected Forms

balls-ups (plural)

Synonyms

ballup cock-up mess-up cockup

Questions

What does balls-up mean?
Something which becomes muddled or botched in some way.
Where does balls-up come from?
Balls in this sense refers to testicles. See also the verb, to balls up and go balls up.

How to pronounce balls-up

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “balls-up”.
  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 “balls-up”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “balls-up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.