Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

show a leg

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.62 in modern English

Syllables
show a -leg
IPA
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To wake up and get out of bed.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Supposedly originated in the 19th-century Royal Navy as a waking call.

Inflected Forms

shows a leg (present, singular) showing a leg (participle, present) showed a leg (past) shown a leg (participle, past)

Phrases

shake a leg break a leg

Frequently Paired Words

shake a leg break a leg

Questions

What does show a leg mean?
To wake up and get out of bed.
Where does show a leg come from?
Supposedly originated in the 19th-century Royal Navy as a waking call.

How to pronounce show a leg

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “show a leg”.
  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 “show a leg”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “show a leg” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.