Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

flunk

/flʌŋk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.17 in modern English

Syllables
flunk
IPA
/flʌŋk/
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Of a student, to fail a class; to not pass.

American usage

verb

Of a teacher, to deny a student a passing grade.

American usage; Transitive verb

verb

To fail any challenge

American usage

verb

To shirk (a task or duty).

American usage; Dated; Informal

verb

To back out through fear. (Commonly in the phrase 'flunk it', the 'it' referring to a specific task avoided; sometimes without specific reference, describing a person's attitude to life in general.)

American usage

Example Sentences

Etymology

Alteration of funk, or perhaps a blend of flinch + funk.

Usage

Inflected Forms

flunks (present, singular) flunking (participle, present) flunked (participle, past) flunked (past)

Derived Forms

flunkable flunkee flunker flunkout

Phrases

flunk out

Frequently Paired Words

flunk out

Synonyms

failing fail bomb flush it

Rhymes With

drunk punk trunk junk monk sunk funk chunk dunk bunk shrunk hunk

Questions

How do you pronounce flunk?
The recorded pronunciation is /flʌŋk/.
What does flunk mean?
Of a student, to fail a class; to not pass.
Where does flunk come from?
Alteration of funk, or perhaps a blend of flinch + funk.

How to pronounce flunk

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