Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hobgoblin

/hɑbˈɡɑb.lɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.31 in modern English

Syllables
hob-gob-lin
IPA
/hɑbˈɡɑb.lɪn/
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small, ugly goblin that makes trouble for humans.

noun

A source of dread, fear or apprehension; a bugbear.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From hob (“elf”, from Hob, a variant of Rob, short for Robin Goodfellow, an elf in Germanic folklore) + goblin.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /hɑbˈɡɑb.lɪn/
  • British English: /hɒbˈɡɒb.lɪn/

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce hobgoblin?
The recorded pronunciation is /hɑbˈɡɑb.lɪn/.
What does hobgoblin mean?
A small, ugly goblin that makes trouble for humans.
Where does hobgoblin come from?
From hob (“elf”, from Hob, a variant of Rob, short for Robin Goodfellow, an elf in Germanic folklore) + goblin.

How to pronounce hobgoblin

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