shakedown
/ˈʃeɪkdaʊn/noun, adjective
shakedown is spelled S-H-A-K-E-D-O-W-N: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, shakedown means “Extortion, especially through blackmail” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of shakedown is shakedowns.
How many letters and syllables are in shakedown?
| Letters | 9: S-H-A-K-E-D-O-W-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shakedown?
Shakedown appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shakedown?
- US /ˈʃeɪkdaʊn/
Shakedown has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-shakedown.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with shakedown
Also written: shake-down (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with shakedown?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as shakedown from its last stressed vowel (/eɪkdaʊn/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shakedown
- shakedowns plural
- shake-down
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shakedown mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
slangExtortion, especially through blackmail
What is this, a shakedown?
- 2
slangA thorough search; a frisk
- 3
A trial or test period, especially of a ship or aircraft.
- 4
An improvised bed.
adjective
- 1
That tests the performance of a ship or aircraft.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shakedown in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Durchsuchung, Razzia, Filzung , Probebetrieb, Versuchsbetrieb, Testbetrieb |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shakedown come from?
Deverbal from shake down. An improvised bed would originally have been made by shaking down straw.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).