Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

jabberwocky

/ˈd͡ʒæbɚwɔki/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.01 in modern English

Syllables: jab-ber-wocky
IPA: /ˈd͡ʒæbɚwɔki/

34

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A nonsensical poem that appears in Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll.

noun

Invented or meaningless language; nonsense.

Uncountable

adj

meaningless, worthless

adj

absurd, nonsense, nonsensical

Example Sentences

""I like the way your mind works, Hosler," Stanley said. "You go after concrete proof of your contentions - none of this scientific jabborwocky.""
"Only the Pet Shop Boys can sing jabberwocky lines like “I thought I heard a train/Down in the cemetery/Cellophane” and make them sound sexy and evil."

Etymology

The name of a nonsense poem from the children's book Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1872) by Lewis Carroll. Apparently based on the Jabberwock, the monster described therein, with the suffix -y in imitation of classical epics such as the Odyssey.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈd͡ʒæbɚwɔki/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

jabberwockies (plural) jabborwocky (alternative) more jabberwocky (comparative) most jabberwocky (superlative)

Derived Forms

Jabberwockian jabberwockyish jabberwocky

Frequently Paired Words

Jabberwock

Synonyms

flapdoodle jabber mumbo jumbo absurdity all my eye all my eye and Betty Martin apple grease applesauce bafflegab balderdash balls baloney

Questions

How do you pronounce jabberwocky?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒæbɚwɔki/.
What does jabberwocky mean?: A nonsensical poem that appears in Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll.
Where does jabberwocky come from?: The name of a nonsense poem from the children's book Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1872) by Lewis Carroll. Apparently based on the Jabberwock, the monster described therein, with the suffix -y in imitation of classical epics such as the Odyssey.

How to pronounce jabberwocky

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