Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

word on the wire

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.37 in modern English

Syllables
word on the wire
IPA
23
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
1
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The rumour or news going around on the internet, in business, on the street, or in social circles.

Dated

Etymology

Modeled after word on the street once digital communications via the internet entered the daily life of the general public. The phrase might have occurred sporadically earlier, in reference to newswires when wire services were telegraphic (before the internet), but the phrase had no currency before the early consumer-internet era, and it has very little currency since then.

Usage

Phrases

wire service word on the street

Frequently Paired Words

newswire wire service word on the street

Questions

What does word on the wire mean?
The rumour or news going around on the internet, in business, on the street, or in social circles.
Where does word on the wire come from?
Modeled after word on the street once digital communications via the internet entered the daily life of the general public. The phrase might have occurred sporadically earlier, in reference to newswires when wire services were telegraphic (before the internet), but the phrase had no currency before the early consumer-internet era, and it has very little currency since then.

How to pronounce word on the wire

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