spoonerism

noun

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spoo·ner·ism | \ ˈspü-nə-ˌri-zəm

Definition of spoonerism

: a transposition of usually initial sounds of two or more words (as in tons of soil for sons of toil)

What is the origin of spoonerism? Example Sentences Learn More about spoonerism

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What is the origin of spoonerism?

Poor William Archibald Spooner! That British clergyman and educator, who lived from 1844 to 1930, often had to speak in public, but he was a nervous man and his tongue frequently got tangled up. He would say things like "a blushing crow" when he meant "a crushing blow." Spooner's letter reversals became the stuff of legend-and undoubtedly gave his listeners many a laugh. By 1900 his name had inspired the term spoonerism, which lives on to this day.

Examples of spoonerism in a Sentence

the spoonerism “tons of soil” for “sons of toil”

Recent Examples on the Web Today’s Theme Three phrases that contain words whose first letters are M and W have those letters flipped to make a spoonerism-like, punny phrase. — New York Times, "Playing Things Low-Key," 6 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spoonerism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.