Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

daddy longlegs

/ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.81 in modern English

Syllables
dad-dy -lon-glegs
IPA
/ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/
21
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The cranefly; any insect of the suborder Tipulomorpha.

British usage

noun

Any (non-spider) arachnid of the order Opiliones, mostly with long thin legs.

Australian usage; Canadian usage; New Zealand usage; American usage

noun

The daddy long-legs spider, any spider of the family Pholcidae.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From daddy + longlegs. First attested in 1810s. Preceded by father longlegs, attested from 1740s.

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Phrases

daddy long-legs spider granddaddy longlegs

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce daddy longlegs?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/.
What does daddy longlegs mean?
The cranefly; any insect of the suborder Tipulomorpha.
Where does daddy longlegs come from?
From daddy + longlegs. First attested in 1810s. Preceded by father longlegs, attested from 1740s.

How to pronounce daddy longlegs

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “daddy longlegs”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “daddy longlegs”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “daddy longlegs” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.