amateur hour
/ˈamətə ˈaʊə(ɹ)/
"amateur-hour" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“amateur hour” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An event, particularly on radio or television, showcasing the talents of amateur performers.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | amateur hour |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈamətə ˈaʊə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “amateur hour” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
amateur hour is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈamətə ˈaʊə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
amateur hour has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: , the host of Major Bowes Amateur Hour which was broadcast on the radio in the US from 1934 to 1945]] Probably from the names of series of US radio and television programs such as Major Bowes Amateur Hour (broadcast on the radio 1934–1945) and The Original … The correct English form is amateur hour, spelled A-M-A-T-E-U-R- -H-O-U-R.
Definition
- 1An event, particularly on radio or television, showcasing the talents of amateur performers.
- 2A situation or activity in which the participants show a lack of skill, sound judgment, or professionalism.
Etymology
, the host of Major Bowes Amateur Hour which was broadcast on the radio in the US from 1934 to 1945]] Probably from the names of series of US radio and television programs such as Major Bowes Amateur Hour (broadcast on the radio 1934–1945) and The Original Amateur Hour (on the radio 1948–1952, and on television 1948–1970).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “amateur hour”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-M-A-T-E-U-R- -H-O-U-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈamətə ˈaʊə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.