Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

whatever floats your boat

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.43 in modern English

Syllables
what-ev-er float-s y-our boat
IPA
39
Scrabble Score
22
Letters
5
Syllables
14
Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

One should do whatever stimulates one or suits one's inclinations.

Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

The earliest evidence hints that the phrase originated in the late 1970s among pleasure boaters in the United States.

Usage

Phrases

do one's own thing float someone's boat go one's own way have it coming have it your way it's your funeral suit yourself whatever helps you sleep at night

Frequently Paired Words

do one's own thing float someone's boat go one's own way have it coming have it your way it's your funeral suit yourself whatever helps you sleep at night

Synonyms

whatever butters your biscuit whatever butters your biscuits whatever butters your bread whatever butters your muffin whatever butters your toast whatever humps your camel whatever melts your butter whatever sizzles your bacon whatever tickles your pickle whatever winds your clock

Questions

What does whatever floats your boat mean?
One should do whatever stimulates one or suits one's inclinations.
Where does whatever floats your boat come from?
The earliest evidence hints that the phrase originated in the late 1970s among pleasure boaters in the United States.

How to pronounce whatever floats your boat

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