Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

widdershins

/ˈwɪ.dɚ.ʃɪnz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.44 in modern English

Syllables
wid-der-shins
IPA
/ˈwɪ.dɚ.ʃɪnz/
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

The wrong way.

Example Sentences

Etymology

First use appears c. 1513, from Middle Low German weddersins (also wēder-, -sinnes), from wed(d)der- (“wither-, against, opposite”) + genitive of sin (“direction, way”).

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈwɪ.dɚ.ʃɪnz/
  • British English: /ˈwɪ.də.ʃɪnz/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Antonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce widdershins?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɪ.dɚ.ʃɪnz/.
What does widdershins mean?
Anticlockwise, counter-clockwise.
Where does widdershins come from?
First use appears c. 1513, from Middle Low German weddersins (also wēder-, -sinnes), from wed(d)der- (“wither-, against, opposite”) + genitive of sin (“direction, way”).

How to pronounce widdershins

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “widdershins”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈwɪ.dɚ.ʃɪnz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “widdershins”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “widdershins” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.