Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

trainspotter

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.14 in modern English

Syllables: trainspot-ter
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person whose hobby is train spotting.

noun

An obsessive follower of any minority interest or hobby.

Example Sentences

"`So are you like one of those anorak wearing trainspotter types?'"
"Above all, I remember the noise and smell of the steam locomotives, and it was those journeys that turned me into a trainspotter, which meant that soon a pencil, notebook and the Ian Allan locospotter's guide became essential items for the trip."
"“Unless you want to end up in the depot!” Then he looks at me more closely, suspecting a trainspotter in his midst. “Maybe, you do want to end up in the depot.”"

Etymology

From train + spotter.

Inflected Forms

trainspotters (plural)

Derived Forms

trainspotterish trainspottery

Phrases

rivet counter

Frequently Paired Words

trainspotting planespotter locospotter anorak ferroequinologist rivet counter

Questions

What does trainspotter mean?: A person whose hobby is train spotting.
Where does trainspotter come from?: From train + spotter.

How to pronounce trainspotter

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