Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lost in translation

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.35 in modern English

Syllables: lost in -trans-la-tion
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

17

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Unable to be understood due to having been poorly translated.

Example Sentences

"I tried reading the instruction manual but many of the steps were unfortunately lost in translation."
"The message of the Japanese Prime Minister's speech was lost in translation."

Phrases

translation loss

Frequently Paired Words

translation loss

Questions

What does lost in translation mean?: Unable to be understood due to having been poorly translated.

How to pronounce lost in translation

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