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Spoonerism: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Spoonerism noun. A slip in which the first sounds of two words swap, like 'a blushing crow' for 'a crushing blow'.
How to say it
SPOO-nuh-riz-um/ˈspuːnərɪz(ə)m/
4 syllables, stressed on the first (SPOO). Forms: spoonerisms.
Spoonerism in a sentence
His spoonerism, 'the Lord is a shoving leopard', brought the house down.
Spoonerisms come easily when you're tired and talking too fast.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- slip of the tongue
- transposition
Where spoonerism comes from
Named after William Spooner, an Oxford don of the late 1800s who was said to make such slips.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
_____ come easily when you're tired and talking too fast.
- spoonerism
- tmesis
- opsimath
Show the answer
spoonerism: Spoonerisms come easily when you're tired and talking too fast.