How to Pronounce "not able to make head or tail of"
expression
NAHT AY-buhl TOO/TUH/TIH MAYK HED OR/ER TAYL UH-v
NOT AY-buhl TOO MAYK HED AW TAYL OV
Definition
If you are not able to make head or tail of something, it means you cannot understand it at all—it seems confusing or impossible to figure out.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈnɑt/ /ˈeɪbəɫ/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ/ /ˈmeɪk/ /ˈhɛd/ /ˈɔɹ/, /ɝ/ /ˈteɪɫ/ /ˈəv
British English
nˈɒt/ /ˈeɪbəl/ /tˈuː/ /mˈeɪk/ /hˈɛd/ /ˈɔː/ /tˈeɪl/ /ˈɒv
Simplified Pronunciation
US
NAHT AY-buhl TOO/TUH/TIH MAYK HED OR/ER TAYL UH-v
UK
NOT AY-buhl TOO MAYK HED AW TAYL OV
Listen in Context
I am not able to make head or tail of these instructions.
She was not able to make head or tail of the map.
The math problem was so hard that I was not able to make head or tail of it.
Honestly, I was not able to make head or tail of what he was saying.