Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

that's all she wrote

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.94 in modern English

Syllables
that's al-l she wrote
IPA
25
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

Indicating an abrupt termination of a project, or of one’s hopes or plans.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Unknown; circa 1940s; thought to be a reference to Dear John letters. Ernest Tubb recorded a song titled "That's All She Wrote" (sheet music published in 1942), but earlier printed references exist (e.g. The Brownsville Herald, June 1935).

Questions

What does that's all she wrote mean?
Indicating an abrupt termination of a project, or of one’s hopes or plans.
Where does that's all she wrote come from?
Unknown; circa 1940s; thought to be a reference to Dear John letters. Ernest Tubb recorded a song titled "That's All She Wrote" (sheet music published in 1942), but earlier printed references exist (e.g. The Brownsville Herald, June 1935).

How to pronounce that's all she wrote

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “that's all she wrote”.
  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 “that's all she wrote”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “that's all she wrote” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.