Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

old wives' tale

/ɔld ˈwaɪvz teɪl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.87 in modern English

Syllables
old wives' -tale
IPA
/ɔld ˈwaɪvz teɪl/
19
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth

noun

A rumour, myth or superstition; something which is almost certainly untrue, despite acceptance by many.

Example Sentences

Etymology

In this context, the word “wives” means “women” and not “married women,” retaining the original sense of Old English wīf, which meant “woman” as well as “wife”. The phrase could be a reformation of Old English ealdra cwēna spell or a calque of Latin anīlis fābula, both literally “old women’s story.”

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɔld ˈwaɪvz teɪl/

Inflected Forms

old wives' tales (plural)

Phrases

old wife urban legend urban myth

Frequently Paired Words

old wife urban legend urban myth

Synonyms

anility

Questions

How do you pronounce old wives' tale?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɔld ˈwaɪvz teɪl/.
What does old wives' tale mean?
A supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
Where does old wives' tale come from?
In this context, the word “wives” means “women” and not “married women,” retaining the original sense of Old English wīf, which meant “woman” as well as “wife”. The phrase could be a reformation of Old English ealdra cwēna spell or a calque of Latin anīlis fābula, both literally “old women’s story.”

How to pronounce old wives' tale

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