Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

streetwise

/stɹˈitwˌaɪz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.35 in modern English

Syllables: street-wise
IPA: /stɹˈitwˌaɪz/

13

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having the necessary knack, personality and instinct for survival in rough, urban environments.

adj

Possessing a style that reflects urban life and microculture.

American usage

Example Sentences

"Where's the streetwise Hercules / to fight the rising odds?"
"You could tell from the way he spat old Tupac lyrics, loitering in the corner with his homies, flipping that Yankees cap on his head like he couldn't give a damn that he was streetwise enough to melt Will Smith."

Etymology

From street + -wise.

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

more streetwise (comparative) most streetwise (superlative) street-wise (alternative)

Derived Forms

streetwiseness unstreetwise

Phrases

street smarts

Frequently Paired Words

street smarts

Synonyms

street-smart street smart with-it

Questions

How do you pronounce streetwise?: The recorded pronunciation is /stɹˈitwˌaɪz/.
What does streetwise mean?: Having the necessary knack, personality and instinct for survival in rough, urban environments.
Where does streetwise come from?: From street + -wise.

How to pronounce streetwise

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