Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

take a turn for the worse

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.72 in modern English

Syllables
take a -turn -for the -worse
IPA
33
Scrabble Score
20
Letters
4
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To start to become worse; to worsen.

Example Sentences

Inflected Forms

takes a turn for the worse (present, singular) taking a turn for the worse (participle, present) took a turn for the worse (past) taken a turn for the worse (participle, past)

Antonyms

take a turn for the better

Questions

What does take a turn for the worse mean?
To start to become worse; to worsen.

How to pronounce take a turn for the worse

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