SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
spoonerism
noun
An accidental exchange of initial sounds between words.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Swapped initial sounds
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topThese phrases explain the sound exchange. A slip of the tongue is broader and can involve other kinds of speech error.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See spoonerism in use
Saying a blushing crow instead of a crushing blow creates a spoonerism.
A spoonerism occurred when an actor accidentally said 'right lane' instead of 'light rain,' exchanging the opening sounds of the two words.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license