How to pronounce "gobsmacking" in English
gob·sma·cking
Hear native speakers say gobsmacking in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “gobsmacking”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
gob
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
sma
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
cking
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "gobsmacking" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "gobsmacking is" sounds like "gobsmacking-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "gobsmacking" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“What the female body can go through, regardless of delivery mode, is just gobsmacking.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
“as a sort of gobsmacking extraordinary consequential moment.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“And I just couldn't believe I It shook It's gobsmacking.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“is just gobsmacking in its audacity.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“>> It's a big threat and for many people I think quite a gobsmacking threat Kate.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“the dark the early this morning it is utterly utterly gobsmacking the sheer size of the crowd the fact that the trucks are all completely covered with”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “gobsmacking”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
What the female body can go through, regardless of delivery mode, is just gobsmacking.
Hear it in context: “gobsmacking”
11 clipsThe English word “gobsmacking”. Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (gob · sma · cking). Grammatically, “gobsmacking” functions as a adjective. SayItVid indexes 11 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “gobsmacking” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @5:19
“and then we actually have to give birth again. Wow. What the female body can go through, regardless of delivery mode, is just gobsmacking. through, regardless of delivery mode, is”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @12:38
“interesting to go back to to those times because it was such a massive moment and as a sort of gobsmacking extraordinary consequential moment. I mean, I think the only thing that comes moment. I mean, I think the only thing that comes”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @33:26
“pizza healthy?" And I just couldn't believe I It shook It's gobsmacking. It's like, "Oh, what? >> It's gobsmacking. It's like, "Oh, what?”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @2:57
“history and will probably be the subject of novels and movies in the future. It is just gobsmacking in its audacity. It's right up there with the, you know, the Israeli use of exploding pages to kill members of Hezbollah last year, a the Israeli use of exploding pages to kill members of Hezbollah last year, a”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @3:02
“and that he is willing to take quite strong action against the UK unless the UK drops its objections. >> It's a big threat and for many people I think quite a gobsmacking threat Kate. Yeah. I mean it's a night a nightmare think quite a gobsmacking threat Kate. Yeah. I mean it's a night a nightmare”
Definition & Meaning: “gobsmacking”
- Causing one to be gobsmacked; astounding, flabbergasting.
Example Sentences (2)
- “again. Wow. What the female body can go through, regardless of delivery mode, is just gobsmacking.”
- “as a sort of gobsmacking extraordinary consequential moment. I mean, I think the only thing that comes”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “gobsmacking”
- Syllables:
- gob · sma · cking
- Hear it in context
- gobsmacking
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"gobsmacking" has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "gobsmacking" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about gobsmacking
How many syllables are in “gobsmacking”?
“gobsmacking” has 3 syllables: gob · sma · cking.
What does “gobsmacking” mean?
Causing one to be gobsmacked; astounding, flabbergasting.
How can I hear “gobsmacking” used in real sentences?
This page has 11 real-world video examples of “gobsmacking” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “gobsmacking”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).