Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

drive to distraction

/ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.76 in modern English

Syllables
drive to dis-tract-ion
IPA
/ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃən/
25
Scrabble Score
18
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From drive (“to cause to become”) + to + distraction (“deranged state of mind; insanity”).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃən/
  • British English: /ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/

Usage

Inflected Forms

drives to distraction (present, singular) driving to distraction (participle, present) drove to distraction (past) driven to distraction (participle, past)

Phrases

to distraction

Frequently Paired Words

to distraction

Synonyms

drive crazy drive round the bend drive up the wall

Questions

How do you pronounce drive to distraction?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃən/.
What does drive to distraction mean?
To annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate.
Where does drive to distraction come from?
From drive (“to cause to become”) + to + distraction (“deranged state of mind; insanity”).

How to pronounce drive to distraction

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