How to pronounce doohickey
Say it like DOO-hih-kee. Doohickey has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DOO).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce doohickey. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DOO
- hih
- kee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Doohickey pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DOOSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- hihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- keeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of doohickey
American and British speakers say doohickey in essentially the same way: /ˈduhɪki/ in the US and /ˈduːhɪki/ in the UK.
British respelling: DOO-hih-kee.
What does doohickey mean?
- A thing (used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one does not know or cannot recall)“What does this doohickey do?”
Where does doohickey come from?
First attested 1914, of uncertain origin, probably from doodad + hickey.
Questions about saying doohickey
How do you pronounce doohickey?
Say DOO-hih-kee. The American pronunciation is /ˈduhɪki/. In British English it is /ˈduːhɪki/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in doohickey?
Doohickey has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DOO). Broken into parts: DOO · hih · kee.
Do Americans and Brits say doohickey the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈduhɪki/ and the British form is /ˈduːhɪki/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.