Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

known unknown

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.47 in modern English

Syllables
known un-known
IPA
26
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An uncertainty of known magnitude, consequence, structure, and probability characteristics; something that we know that we don't know.

Etymology

Popularized by Donald Rumsfeld in 2002, though used much earlier.

Inflected Forms

known unknowns (plural)

Phrases

known known unknown unknown unknown known

Frequently Paired Words

known known unknown unknown unknown known

Questions

What does known unknown mean?
An uncertainty of known magnitude, consequence, structure, and probability characteristics; something that we know that we don't know.
Where does known unknown come from?
Popularized by Donald Rumsfeld in 2002, though used much earlier.

How to pronounce known unknown

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