Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

not to put too fine a point on it

/nɑt tə ˌpʊt tu ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɑn ət/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.90 in modern English

Syllables
not -to put -too fine a -point on it
IPA
/nɑt tə ˌpʊt tu ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɑn ət/
32
Scrabble Score
25
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.

Example Sentences

Etymology

A reference to the fact that the speaker is about to say something blunt rather than fine (that is, delicate or subtle).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /nɑt tə ˌpʊt tu ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɑn ət/
  • British English: /nɒt tʊ ˌpʊt tuː ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɒn ɪt/

Phrases

in all honesty to be honest to speak frankly frankly speaking to tell the truth pardon my French excuse my French pardon my German

Frequently Paired Words

in all honesty to be honest to speak frankly frankly speaking to tell the truth pardon my French excuse my French pardon my German

Questions

How do you pronounce not to put too fine a point on it?
The recorded pronunciation is /nɑt tə ˌpʊt tu ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɑn ət/.
What does not to put too fine a point on it mean?
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
Where does not to put too fine a point on it come from?
A reference to the fact that the speaker is about to say something blunt rather than fine (that is, delicate or subtle).

How to pronounce not to put too fine a point on it

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “not to put too fine a point on it”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/nɑt tə ˌpʊt tu ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɑn ət/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “not to put too fine a point on it”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “not to put too fine a point on it” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.