Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

busy work

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.72 in modern English

Syllables
busy -work
IPA
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

American usage; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Usage

Inflected Forms

busywork (alternative) busy-work (alternative)

Phrases

make-work

Frequently Paired Words

make-work

Questions

What does busy work mean?
Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

How to pronounce busy work

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