Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

on pins and needles

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.45 in modern English

Syllables
on pin-s and nee-dles
IPA
20
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

Example Sentences

Phrases

pins and needles like a cat on a hot tin roof like a cat on hot bricks

Frequently Paired Words

pins and needles like a cat on a hot tin roof like a cat on hot bricks limbo

Synonyms

on tenterhooks

Questions

What does on pins and needles mean?
Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

How to pronounce on pins and needles

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