# spoonerism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈspuː.nəɹˌɪ.zəm/

## Definitions
1. A play on words on a phrase in which the initial (usually consonantal) sounds of two or more of the main words are transposed.

## Etymology
From Spooner + -ism, named after Oxford don Reverend W. A. Spooner (1844–1930), who is supposed to have habitually made such slip-ups.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/spoonerism