Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hokey

/ˈhoʊki/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.62 in modern English

Syllables: hokey
IPA: /ˈhoʊki/

15

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality.

American usage; Colloquial

adj

Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental.

American usage; Colloquial

Example Sentences

"When asked for his book report, Chad came up with a series of hokier and hokier excuses."
"I thought the windshield wiper blades were a little hokey when I saw their cheap packaging."
"Terry hated going to the cinema with Pat; she always chose hokey romantic comedies that made him want to gag."
"After the chant, we bowed our heads and closed our eyes, as Bob administered the recitation, part prayer and part affirmation—an ever-changing hokey thing that he improvised on the spot."

Etymology

From the verb hoke ("to give an artificial feel to" [from hokum]) + -y.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: -y

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhoʊki/
British English: /ˈhəʊki/

Usage

American usage
Colloquial

Inflected Forms

hokier (comparative) hokiest (superlative) hokie (alternative) hoaky (alternative) hoky (alternative)

Derived Forms

hokeyness

Phrases

Hokey Cokey hokey-tokey

Frequently Paired Words

hokiness hoke hokum Hokey Cokey hokeypokey hokey-tokey

Synonyms

cheesy kitschy schmaltzy bathetic squishy corny drippy gooey hokey icky kitsch maudlin

Rhymes With

karaoke smoky smokey aoki loci okey oki pokey gnocchi okie skokie oaky

Questions

How do you pronounce hokey?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhoʊki/.
What does hokey mean?: Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality.
Where does hokey come from?: From the verb hoke ("to give an artificial feel to" [from hokum]) + -y.

How to pronounce hokey

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