How to pronounce "grawlixes" in English
graw·li·xes
Hear native speakers say grawlixes in context across real video clips
a membership program called the Vox Video Lab where there are a ton of extra videos and information. In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded out over these 1900s comics and found a ton of @#*$* grawlixes. In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “grawlixes”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
graw
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
li
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
xes
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Keep the vowel length balanced, placing subtle emphasis on the root morpheme according to standard conversational rhythm.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "grawlixes" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "grawlixes is" sounds like "grawlixes-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "grawlixes" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded out over these 1900s comics and found a ton of @#*$* grawlixes.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“However, I do not wanna brag here, but we did find some early grawlixes that are even earlier than the previously known ones.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“Two comics pushed that innovation to the next level and invented a lot of what we know today - probably including grawlixes.”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“This is Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker, and in addition to making soldiers say stuff like!(@!@#(*, he coined the term “grawlixes””— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “grawlixes”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded out over these 1900s comics and found a ton of @#*$* grawlixes.
Hear it in context: “grawlixes”
4 clipsThe English word “grawlixes”. Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (graw · li · xes). Grammatically, “grawlixes” functions as a noun. SayItVid indexes 4 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “grawlixes” in natural connected speech across American (US: 4 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (4 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USClip #1 · @4:10
“a membership program called the Vox Video Lab where there are a ton of extra videos and information. In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded out over these 1900s comics and found a ton of @#*$* grawlixes. In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #2 · @3:51
“Both of those were instrumental in early research on the grawlix and it helped us get our start. However, I do not wanna brag here, but we did find some early grawlixes that are even earlier than the previously known ones. earlier than the previously known ones.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #3 · @1:37
“Sometimes words showed up on the Yellow Kid. Two comics pushed that innovation to the next level and invented a lot of what we know today - probably including grawlixes. - probably including grawlixes.”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @0:30
“visual language was being invented. This is Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker, and in addition to making soldiers say stuff like!(@!@#(*, he coined the term “grawlixes” and in addition to making soldiers say stuff like !(@!@#(*, he coined the term “grawlixes””
Definition & Meaning: “grawlixes”
- A series of images or symbols used in speech bubbles in comic strips to indicate one or more swear words.
Example Sentences (3)
- “There is a wealth of comicana waiting for the student with enough drive and depth of understanding. Once he masters the secret of the waftarom, the solrad, and the grawlix, he can mix in any art circle but he's own his own from here on.”
- “When Chicago-based author and illustrator Anders Nilsen was a political-minded college student at University of New Mexico, grawlix granted him a glimmer of fame. Demonstrating against a newly-enacted law, Nilsen wielded a hand-painted sign reading "F*&# Proposition 187." […] As a fellow comic writer, [Paul] Hornschemeier prefers what he calls "the other species" of grawlix, which is when the entire expletive is replaced by symbols. "When you see just the pure symbols, you imagine, 'OK, these are some dirty words,'" he says. "But the reader definitely becomes the author of that filth."”
- “information. In the Videolab, I have made a video about my research process and exactly how I nerded out over these 1900s comics and found a ton of @#*$* grawli”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “grawlixes”
- Syllables:
- graw · li · xes
- Hear it in context
- grawlixes
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"grawlixes" 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, "grawlixes" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about grawlixes
How many syllables are in “grawlixes”?
“grawlixes” has 3 syllables: graw · li · xes.
What does “grawlixes” mean?
A series of images or symbols used in speech bubbles in comic strips to indicate one or more swear words.
How can I hear “grawlixes” used in real sentences?
This page has 4 real-world video examples of “grawlixes” 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 “grawlixes”?
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⁄).