Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

workman

/ˈwɝkmən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.96 in modern English

Syllables: work-man
IPA: /ˈwɝkmən/

16

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A man who labours for wages.

noun

An artisan or craftsman.

name

name

A township in Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States.

Example Sentences

"He laid the foundation stone on August 1 1847, and then set around 2,000 workmen loose on the undertaking. The station opened exactly one year later on August 1 1848."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *werkamann- Proto-West Germanic *werkamann Old English weorcmann Middle English werkman English workman From Middle English werkman, from Old English weorcmann (“workman”), from Proto-West Germanic *werkamann, from Proto-Germanic *werkamann- (“workman”), equivalent to work + -man. Compare Dutch werkman (“workman”), German Werkmann (“labourer, workman”), Icelandic verkamaður (“workman”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: werkman, weorcmann, *werkamann, *werkamann-
Suffix: work

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈwɝkmən/
British English: /ˈwɜːkmən/

Inflected Forms

workmen (plural)

Derived Forms

subworkman underworkman workmanlike workmanly workmanship

Phrases

a bad workman always blames his tools bye-workman

Frequently Paired Words

worker workwoman

Synonyms

working man workingman

Homonyms

workmen

Rhymes With

kirkman berkman burkman

Questions

How do you pronounce workman?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɝkmən/.
What does workman mean?: A man who labours for wages.
Where does workman come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce workman

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