Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

taken aback

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.99 in modern English

Syllables
tak-en aback
IPA
22
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Surprised, shocked.

adj

Said of a ship, when the wind, suddenly changing, forces the sails aft against the mast.

verb

past participle of take aback

Example Sentences

Etymology

From taken + aback, first attested in 1840.

Inflected Forms

more taken aback (comparative) most taken aback (superlative)

Questions

What does taken aback mean?
Surprised, shocked.
Where does taken aback come from?
From taken + aback, first attested in 1840.

How to pronounce taken aback

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