22 Strange Words In English

Some English words are very common:

• “you” 
• “play” 
• “job” 
• “house”
• “car”

… and so on.

On the other hand, some other words are not that frequent:

• “corroborate” 
• “procrastinate” 
• “repercussion”
•  “vernacular”
• “arachnophobia”

Then, there’s a third category: strange words in English.

These are words that may have weird pronunciation, meaning, or spelling. And because they’re weird, they’re also uncommon.

Here are 22 of them. 

For each one, you’ll find the pronunciation, a definition, an example sentence, and, sometimes, a little story.

Even though they’re weird, treat these words with respect, please!

Strange Words In English A-D

1. Absquatulate (verb)

Pronunciation: /æbˈskwɒtʃuːleɪt/ – ab- SKWOT – chu – late

Let’s look at the definition: to leave suddenly, often in a sneaky manner.

It’s not that frequent of a word, but you can use it to practise pronouncing the consonant cluster (a group of consonant sounds) it contains: /bsk/

This one is easy to define but hard to pronounce, isn’t it?

Here’s an example sentence: My dog absquatulated with a chicken bone in his mouth.

2. Bamboozle (verb)

Pronunciation: /bæmˈbuːzl/ – BAM – boo – zuhl

If you bamboozle someone, you confuse them by tricking or deceiving them.

This word is informal, and it’s similar in meaning to “bumfuzzle” (see below!). 

Here’s an example: The salesman bamboozled me into buying a car I didn’t even want!

3. Bumfuzzle (verb)

Pronunciation: /ˈbʌmfʌzl/ – BUM – fuh – zuhl

This is an informal term meaning “to confuse” someone. 

Does this word “bumfuzzle” itself bumfuzzle you? 

Example: The instructions for my new camera were so complicated that they completely bumfuzzled me!

4. Cattywampus (adverb)

Pronunciation: /ˈkætiˌwɒmpəs/ – KAT – ee – wom – puhs

This weird word is used in American English to describe something that is going badly, awkwardly, or in the wrong direction.

It’s often used humorously.

Example: Dear me! Everything has gone catawampus with me this week.

5. Discombobulate (verb)

Pronunciation: /ˌdɪskəmˈbɒbjuleɪt/ – DIS – kum – BOB – yuh – late

Here’s another word meaning “to confuse somebody.” 

But if someone or something discombobulates you, you don’t just feel confused; you also feel slightly anxious.

When I’m cleaning my house, I usually need to move stuff around: furniture, rags, and other things. That’s a perfect way to discombobulate my cat! 

Here’s another example: All I need to do is notice how discombobulated my brain feels and look at how little I accomplished today.

6. Doohickey (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈduːhɪki/ – DOO – hik – ee

A doohickey is a word used in American English to talk about an object whose name you don’t know or have forgotten.

It’s an informal term often used when talking about tools or gadgets.

Here’s an example: Can you hand me that doohickey over there? I need it to fix this pipe.

Strange Words In English E-I

7. Flabbergasted (adjective) 

Pronunciation: /ˈflæbəɡɑːstɪd/ – FLAB – er – gah – stid

I need to tell you something. Soon I’m going to shut down this website and StoryLearning won’t exist anymore. No more articles, courses, or books. No more stories.

How are you feeling right now?

If I said that to my friends and students, most of them would feel flabbergasted, which is an informal way to say “extremely shocked.”

But, don’t worry, StoryLearning will live!

Here’s an example for you: I’m flabbergasted that no alternative view of this research is offered.

8. Flibbertigibbet (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈflɪbətiˌdʒɪbɪt/ – FLIB – er – tee – jib – it

A flibbertigibbet is a silly person who talks too much (I know many such people!)

The word has an old-fashioned feel to it.

Here’s an example: My aunt calls me a flibbertigibbet because I can never stay focused on one task.

9. Gobbledygook (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɒbldiɡuːk/ – GOB – uhl – dee – gook

Gobbledygook is an informal word we use when we want to describe complicated or pretentious language that’s often hard to understand.

Remember that 10-page insurance contract you signed? That was likely full of gobbledygook!

Example: What’s all this gobbledygook you wrote? I can’t understand a thing! Can you please write like you speak?

10. Hodgepodge (noun)

Or “hotchpotch” in British English.

Pronunciation: /ˈhɒdʒpɒdʒ/ – HODGE – podge

No, it’s not a type of vegetable. A hodgepodge is a number of things mixed together without any particular order or reason.

Once, went to a little store that had nothing but hodgepodge in it. 

I walked out of that store immediately!

Example: What we think of as knowledge is a hodgepodge of evidence, interpretation and theory.

11. Hullabaloo (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˌhʌləbəˈluː/ – HUL – uh – buh – loo

Hullabaloo is a loud noise that’s especially made by people who are annoyed or excited about something.

What a cool word this is!  I really like the way this word sounds. 

Here’s an example: You have created all this bloody hullabaloo for nothing!

Strange Words In English J-R

12. Kerfuffle (noun)

Pronunciation: /kəˈfʌfəl/ – ker – FUF – uhl

Kerfuffle is a word similar to “fuss,” and  it refers to unnecessary excitement, chaos, or disagreement.

Also this one is an informal term, and it’s used especially in British English.

Here’s an example: There was quite a kerfuffle in the office when the boss announced he was leaving.

13. Lackadaisical (adjective)

Pronunciation: /ˌlækəˈdeɪzɪkl/ – lak – uh – DAY – zi – kuhl

If you’re lackadaisical, you show little enthusiasm, energy, or effort. 

This is a word used to describe someone lazy—definitely not you!

Example: Your lackadaisical attitude towards applying for a job explains why you still haven’t found one after 3 years!

14. Lollygag (verb)

Pronunciation: /ˈlɒlɪɡaɡ/ – LOL – ee – gag

If you lollygag, you spend time doing nothing important or, worse, you waste time. But hey, we all love doing that every once in a while, don’t we?

This is an informal term, so you can safely use it when having conversations with your friends.

Example: Stop lollygagging and finish your homework before dinner!

15. Nincompoop (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈnɪŋkəmpuːp/ – NIN – kum – poop

This is an old-fashioned, informal word used to describe a silly or stupid person. 

Example: C’mon, Mike!  You can’t believe everything you read online! Don’t be such a nincompoop.

Strange Words In English S-V

16. Shenanigans (noun)

Pronunciation: /ʃɪˈnænɪɡənz/ – shuh – NAN – ih – gun

Shenanigans (always plural) are secret or dishonest activities that people find interesting and sometimes funny.

This is an informal word.

Example: These kids are famous teenagers engaging in high-class shenanigans in Hollywood.

17. Skean dhu (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˌskiːən ˈduː/ – SKEE-an DOO

What?!

I know—I had no idea what this was until a minute ago.

A skean dhu is a knife worn as part of a traditional Scottish Highland dress.

Here’s an example: Traditional Scottish dress is comprised of jackets, sporran, skean dhu, kilt and hose and garters.

18. Snollygoster (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈsnɒl.iˌɡɒs.tər/ – SNOL – ee – gos – ter

This slang term is used in American English to refer to politicians who care more for personal gain than serving the people they’re supposed to serve.

It’s used in the US, but I’m sure you can think of a snollygoster from your country, too! 

Example: Voters are tired of electing snollygosters who never keep their promises.

19. Thingamabob (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈθɪŋəməbɒb/ – THING – uh – muh – bob

This is another informal word like “doohickey.” 

You can use it when you don’t remember or know the name of something.

If you don’t like to use this one, you can use some of its variants like “thingamajig” (/ˈθɪŋəmədʒɪɡ/ — THING – uh – muh – jig), “thingummy” (/ˈθɪŋ.ə.mi/ – THING -uh – mee), or simply “thingy” (/ˈθɪŋi/ — THING – ee).

Here’s an example: Can you help me? I can’t figure out how this thingamabob works. 

Strange Words In English W-Z

20. Whirligig (noun)

Pronunciation: /ˈwɜːliɡɪɡ/ – WUR – lee – gig

A whirligig is something very active and always changing.

Here’s an example sentence from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:

They thereby avoid commitment to any current fad that comes up on the whirligig of fashion.

This word can also refer to something that spins or whirls. I have a friend whose grandparents used to refer to their spinning clothes dryer as a whirligig – you can see an example in the image below.

21. Widdershins (adverb)

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪdərˌʃɪnz/ – WID – er – shinz

This old-fashioned word means to move counterclockwise or in the opposite direction of what is usual or expected.

It’s unlikely you’ll ever use it, but it’s a fun one to say IMO. (IMO = the acronym for “in my opinion.”) By the way, if you're into acronyms, check out my post about English abbreviations.  

I found this example online:

“It is a custom to walk counterclockwise, or ‘widdershins’ when banishing negative energy and in taking-up or closing a compass.”

22. Yada yada yada (exclamation / expression)

Pronunciation: /ˌjɑːdə jɑːdə ˈjɑːdə/ – YAH – duh YAH – duh YAH – duh

Let’s end our list of weird English words with this common, informal expression. I’ll give you an example of “yada yada yada” first. Let’s see if you can guess the meaning of it:

His new girlfriend is attractive, funny, smart, yada yada yada.

Can you guess what it means? 

Here’s the definition: “Yada yada yada” is an informal expression we often use when we indicate want to skip over details, often because they’re unimportant, repetitive, or obvious. 

Basically, this is a conversational way to say “and so on” or “you get the idea.”

Strange Words In English FAQ

Final Thoughts On Strange Words In English

Thanks for reading this list of strange words in English! Quite a quirky collection, wasn’t it?

As you’ve probably noticed, these words aren’t the ones you’ll encounter in everyday conversations; they’re more like hidden gems of the English language.

So, how can you learn the most common ones? The key is exposure. Exposing yourself to engaging and interesting short stories in English will help you learn words that are common and practical.

That’s where the StoryLearning method comes in. All my English books and courses are full of everyday words and expressions that you’ll meet regularly. This will help you improve your English in meaningful, realistic contexts.

Rather than trying to memorise every word out there, immerse yourself in English through books for English learners, magazines, comics in English and conversations. You’ll be surprised how much you pick up, and you’ll have fun along the way.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.