Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gobbledygook

/ˈɡɒbəldɪˌɡuːk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.96 in modern English

Syllables
gob-bledy-gook
IPA
/ˈɡɒbəldɪˌɡuːk/
26
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Nonsense; meaningless or encrypted language.

Informal; Uncountable

noun

Something written in an overly complex, incoherent, or incomprehensible manner.

Informal; Uncountable

Etymology

First attested in a memo by US Representative (Texas) Maury Maverick dated March 30, 1944, banning "gobbledygook language". Apparently coined in imitation of the sounds made by a turkey.

Usage

Inflected Forms

gobbledygooks (plural) gobbledegook (alternative) gobblygook (alternative) garbley gook (alternative) gobbly-gook (alternative)

Derived Forms

gobbledygooker

Frequently Paired Words

bureaucratese doubletalk gobblefunk jargon nonsense officialese

Rhymes With

look took book cook hook shook brooke brook undertook crook cooke nook

Questions

How do you pronounce gobbledygook?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡɒbəldɪˌɡuːk/.
What does gobbledygook mean?
Nonsense; meaningless or encrypted language.
Where does gobbledygook come from?
First attested in a memo by US Representative (Texas) Maury Maverick dated March 30, 1944, banning "gobbledygook language". Apparently coined in imitation of the sounds made by a turkey.

How to pronounce gobbledygook

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