Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lead someone up the garden path

/ˈlid ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑɹdən ˌpæθ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.34 in modern English

Syllables
lead some-one up the gar-den path
IPA
/ˈlid ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑɹdən ˌpæθ/
41
Scrabble Score
26
Letters
3
Syllables
14
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To deceive, hoodwink, mislead, or seduce someone.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Probably a reference to the fact that a garden path is often winding instead of direct.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈlid ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑɹdən ˌpæθ/
  • British English: /ˈliːd ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑːdn̩ pɑːθ/

Inflected Forms

leads someone up the garden path (present, singular) leading someone up the garden path (participle, present) led someone up the garden path (participle, past) led someone up the garden path (past)

Phrases

garden path sentence

Synonyms

lead someone down the garden path lead someone up the garden

Questions

How do you pronounce lead someone up the garden path?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈlid ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑɹdən ˌpæθ/.
What does lead someone up the garden path mean?
To deceive, hoodwink, mislead, or seduce someone.
Where does lead someone up the garden path come from?
Probably a reference to the fact that a garden path is often winding instead of direct.

How to pronounce lead someone up the garden path

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lead someone up the garden path”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈlid ˌsʌmwʌn ˈʌp ðə ˈɡɑɹdən ˌpæθ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “lead someone up the garden path”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “lead someone up the garden path” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.