Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

workhorse

/ˈwɝkˌhoɹs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.72 in modern English

Syllables: work-horse
IPA: /ˈwɝkˌhoɹs/

19

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A horse used primarily for manual labor; a draft/draught horse.

noun

A person or piece of equipment that performs a lot of work, especially one heavily relied upon to perform consistently and regularly.

Example Sentences

"Those old machines are not very glamorous, but even 20 years after their introduction, they are still the workhorses of the industry."
"Captain Harry Kane was the workhorse and creator, while Sterling and Rashford provided the finishing flourishes that put England in dreamland at the interval."
""Class 08s have been the workhorses of ports, distribution centres and depots across Britain's railway for more than 60 years," said Positive Traction Director Alistair Gregory."

Etymology

From Middle English werkehorse, equivalent to work + horse.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: werkehorse

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈwɝkˌhoɹs/
British English: /ˈwɜːkˌhɔːs/

Inflected Forms

workhorses (plural) work horse (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

powerhouse warhorse wheelhorse workaholic yardhorse

Synonyms

aver carthorse draft horse draught horse

Questions

How do you pronounce workhorse?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɝkˌhoɹs/.
What does workhorse mean?: A horse used primarily for manual labor; a draft/draught horse.
Where does workhorse come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce workhorse

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