Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

forklift

/ˈfɔɹklɪft/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English

Syllables: fork-lift
IPA: /ˈfɔɹklɪft/

18

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small industrial vehicle with a power-operated fork-like pronged platform that can be raised and lowered for insertion under a load, often on pallets, to be lifted and moved.

verb

To move or stack with, or as if with, such a vehicle.

Example Sentences

"The concrete floors of B2B sheds were already being built to an exacting degree of flatness, calibrated using lasers, so that forklifts would not teeter while lifting pallets to the highest shelves."
"With bouncerly finesse, Frank forklifted his arms under Gerald's & plucked him off his stool, dragging him towards the back & the source of that incessant voice."

Etymology

From fork + lift.

Inflected Forms

forklifts (plural) forklifts (present, singular) forklifting (participle, present) forklifted (participle, past) forklifted (past)

Derived Forms

forklifter forkliftable

Phrases

forklift driver forklift operator

Synonyms

fork hoist forklift truck fork truck hi-lo jitney lift truck sideloader stacker-truck tow-motor trailer loader

Questions

How do you pronounce forklift?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɔɹklɪft/.
What does forklift mean?: A small industrial vehicle with a power-operated fork-like pronged platform that can be raised and lowered for insertion under a load, often on pallets, to be lifted and moved.
Where does forklift come from?: From fork + lift.

How to pronounce forklift

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