Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clever-clever

/ˈklɛvəklɛvə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.91 in modern English

Syllables: clev-er--clever
IPA: /ˈklɛvəklɛvə/

22

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Showily or ostentatiously clever.

Derogatory

Example Sentences

"The difference between clever-clever talk and the appearance of a real awareness is desperately fine, and I do not guarantee to be right in my diagnosis every time."
"You used to know where you stood with musicals. There were the old traditionals with scores by Rodgers and Hammerstein; the clever-clever shows with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; and the bombastic 'supermusicals', with sub-operatic numbers."
"England have tried a couple of clever-clever short corners tonight, and both of them have ended in total farce. England have many strengths, but clever-clever is not an option in their back pocket."

Etymology

Reduplication of clever.

Usage

Derogatory

Inflected Forms

more clever-clever (comparative) most clever-clever (superlative)

Questions

How do you pronounce clever-clever?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈklɛvəklɛvə/.
What does clever-clever mean?: Showily or ostentatiously clever.
Where does clever-clever come from?: Reduplication of clever.

How to pronounce clever-clever

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