Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

slings and arrows

/ˌslɪŋz‿n̩ ˈæɹoʊz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.66 in modern English

Syllables
slings and ar-rows
IPA
/ˌslɪŋz‿n̩ ˈæɹoʊz/
20
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

Example Sentences

Etymology

Coined by the English playwright William Shakespeare (baptized 1564; died 1616) in his play Hamlet (written 1599–1601; first published 1604 in the second quarto), referring to fortune attacking a person, as if using slingshots and arrows: see the quotation.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌslɪŋz‿n̩ ˈæɹoʊz/
  • British English: /ˌslɪŋz‿n̩ ˈæɹəʊz/

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce slings and arrows?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌslɪŋz‿n̩ ˈæɹoʊz/.
What does slings and arrows mean?
Hardships or adverse circumstances.
Where does slings and arrows come from?
Coined by the English playwright William Shakespeare (baptized 1564; died 1616) in his play Hamlet (written 1599–1601; first published 1604 in the second quarto), referring to fortune attacking a person, as if using slingshots and arrows: see the quotation.

How to pronounce slings and arrows

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