Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wordplay

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.76 in modern English

Syllables: word-play
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A witty verbal exchange; such exchanges collectively.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Even this modest wordplay was an outlier: Sagers counted only three backronyms across the ’70s and ’80s."
"delete the T from another part in the wordplay"
"However, some clues include words that do not form part of the wordplay or the definition."

Etymology

From word + play.

Usage

Inflected Forms

wordplays (plural)

Phrases

word game

Frequently Paired Words

wordplayer pun repartee word game definition

Synonyms

joke pun punning paronomasia

Questions

What does wordplay mean?: A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively.
Where does wordplay come from?: From word + play.

How to pronounce wordplay

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