Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pot calling the kettle black

/ˈpɑt ˈkɔliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.47 in modern English

Syllables
pot -call-ing the ket-tle black
IPA
/ˈpɑt ˈkɔliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/
44
Scrabble Score
24
Letters
4
Syllables
13
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

Example Sentences

Etymology

There are two interpretations of this phrase, though some sources give only the first interpretation. In the first interpretation, it refers to the fact that both cast-iron pots' and kettles' bottoms turn equally black when hung over a fire, and thus the pot is accusing the kettle of a fault it shares. In the second (unlikely) interpretation, the pot is sooty (being placed on a fire), while the kettle is clean and shiny (being placed on coals only), and hence when the pot accuses the kettle of being black, it is the pot’s own sooty reflection that it sees: the pot accuses the kettle of a fault that only the pot has.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈpɑt ˈkɔliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/
  • British English: /ˈpɒt ˈkɔːliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/

Phrases

hi pot, meet kettle pot, kettle, black pot, meet kettle it takes one to know one look who's talking methinks the lady doth protest too much people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones tu quoque

Frequently Paired Words

hypocrisy it takes one to know one look who's talking methinks the lady doth protest too much people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones tu quoque

Questions

How do you pronounce pot calling the kettle black?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɑt ˈkɔliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/.
What does pot calling the kettle black mean?
A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.
Where does pot calling the kettle black come from?
There are two interpretations of this phrase, though some sources give only the first interpretation. In the first interpretation, it refers to the fact that both cast-iron pots' and kettles' bottoms turn equally black when hung over a fire, and thus the pot is accusing the kettle of a fault it shares. In the second (unlikely) interpretation, the pot is sooty (being placed on a fire), while the kettle is clean and shiny (being placed on coals only), and hence when the pot accuses the kettle of being black, it is the pot’s own sooty reflection that it sees: the pot accuses the kettle of a fault that only the pot has.

How to pronounce pot calling the kettle black

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pot calling the kettle black”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɑt ˈkɔliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pot calling the kettle black”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pot calling the kettle black” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.