Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tempest in a teapot

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.76 in modern English

Syllables
tem-pest in a teapot
IPA
22
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A major fuss over a trivial matter.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Attested since 1838.

Inflected Forms

tempests in teapots (plural)

Phrases

lightning in a bottle make a mountain out of a molehill

Frequently Paired Words

lightning in a bottle make a mountain out of a molehill shitstorm

Synonyms

much ado about nothing storm in a teacup and its variants storm in a tea-kettle storm in a glass of water and storm in a teapot tempest in a teacup tempest in a tea-kettle

Questions

What does tempest in a teapot mean?
A major fuss over a trivial matter.
Where does tempest in a teapot come from?
Attested since 1838.

How to pronounce tempest in a teapot

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