Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

macguffin

/məˈɡʌf.ɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.91 in modern English

Syllables: macguf-fin
IPA: /məˈɡʌf.ɪn/

20

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A plot element or other device used to catch the audience's attention and maintain suspense, but whose exact nature has fairly little influence over the storyline.

name

Example Sentences

"" […] But we wound up realizing you really can't top yourself. You just tell a different story and hope the new MacGuffin is as compelling as the last MacGuffin.""
"A paleontologist lately returned from an expedition to Wyoming, where he unearthed the bones of the first brontosaurus (and supplied guns to the Indians on behalf of the Foreign Office, which had succeeded in its policy of balkanizing the North American continent) Mallory comes into possession of the MacGuffin during a Derby Day encounter with Byron's daughter (and Babbage's protégée) Ada. Thereafter he is hounded by a whole rogue's gallery of villains bent on reclaiming the MacGuffin."

Etymology

Used by Alfred Hitchcock, as an arbitrary Scottish surname. The actual name comes from Ulster: Mc- (“son of”) + Irish dubh (“black”) + Irish Fionn (literally “fairheaded”). See also Wikipedia's MacGuffin § History and use.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /məˈɡʌf.ɪn/
British English: /məˈɡʌf.ɪn/

Inflected Forms

MacGuffins (plural) McGuffin (alternative)

Phrases

red herring Chekhov's gun

Frequently Paired Words

red herring Chekhov's gun MacGuffinite

Synonyms

mcguffin

Questions

How do you pronounce macguffin?: The recorded pronunciation is /məˈɡʌf.ɪn/.
What does macguffin mean?: A plot element or other device used to catch the audience's attention and maintain suspense, but whose exact nature has fairly little influence over the storyline.
Where does macguffin come from?: Used by Alfred Hitchcock, as an arbitrary Scottish surname. The actual name comes from Ulster: Mc- (“son of”) + Irish dubh (“black”) + Irish Fionn (literally “fairheaded”). See also Wikipedia's MacGuffin § History and use.

How to pronounce macguffin

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