Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wait for the ball to drop

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.62 in modern English

Syllables
wait- -for the bal-l -to -drop
IPA
34
Scrabble Score
20
Letters
6
Syllables
13
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To wait in expectation of an occurrence.

Etymology

Inflected Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Questions

What does wait for the ball to drop mean?
To wait in expectation of an occurrence.
Where does wait for the ball to drop come from?
An allusion to the Times Square Ball, and perhaps other time balls.

How to pronounce wait for the ball to drop

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