Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mess-up

/ˈmɛsˌʌp/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.56 in modern English

Syllables: mess-up
IPA: /ˈmɛsˌʌp/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mistake or fiasco; something that has gone wrong.

Informal

noun

A person who makes many mistakes.

Informal

Etymology

Deverbal from mess up.

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

mess-ups (plural)

Synonyms

muck-up aberration bloomer blooper blunder boner boo-boo break clanger cock-up disadventure error

Questions

How do you pronounce mess-up?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmɛsˌʌp/.
What does mess-up mean?: A mistake or fiasco; something that has gone wrong.
Where does mess-up come from?: Deverbal from mess up.

How to pronounce mess-up

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