Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

work to rule

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.90 in modern English

Syllables
work -to rule
IPA
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To work slowly by strictly following all work rules, usually in a work-to-rule job action, as part of unionized labor protest.

noun

Alternative spelling of work-to-rule.

Inflected Forms

works to rule (present, singular) working to rule (participle, present) worked to rule (participle, past) worked to rule (past) work to rules (alternative) work-to-rule (alternative) work to rules (plural)

Questions

What does work to rule mean?
To work slowly by strictly following all work rules, usually in a work-to-rule job action, as part of unionized labor protest.

How to pronounce work to rule

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