Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

woodwork

/ˈwʊdˌwɝk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.21 in modern English

Syllables: wood-work
IPA: /ˈwʊdˌwɝk/

19

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Something made from wood, especially cabinets and trim (e.g., baseboards, doorframes) made from millwork.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Working with wood.

Uncountable

noun

A place of concealment or obscurity.

Uncountable

noun

The frame of the goal, i.e. the goalpost or crossbar.

Uncountable

verb

To go completely stealth as a transgender person. (From the idea of fading or blending into the woodwork.)

Dated

Example Sentences

"Some woodwork and the plaster ceiling medallions have been duplicated to match the originals."
"He does woodwork as a hobby."
"The unthinking man assumes that if woodwork is to be taught, the best person to do it must be a carpenter"
"out of the woodwork"
"Friends and relatives were coming out of the woodwork to celebrate his good fortune."
"So when he wants to, he can just kind of blend into the woodwork."

Etymology

From Middle English woodewerk (“carpentry”), equivalent to wood + work.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: woodewerk

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈwʊdˌwɝk/
British English: /ˈwʊdˌwɜːk/

Usage

Inflected Forms

woodworks (plural) woodworks (present, singular) woodworking (participle, present) woodworked (participle, past) woodworked (past)

Phrases

blend into the woodwork bring out of the woodwork come out of the woodwork crawl out of the woodwork disappear into the woodwork pull out of the woodwork

Frequently Paired Words

closeted out woodworks

Synonyms

woodworking carpentry

Questions

How do you pronounce woodwork?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwʊdˌwɝk/.
What does woodwork mean?: Something made from wood, especially cabinets and trim (e.g., baseboards, doorframes) made from millwork.
Where does woodwork come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce woodwork

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