Meaning & use
Jew's harp
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemusic
A small instrument with a metal tongue; you hold the frame against your teeth and pluck the tongue to make a twanging buzz shaped by your mouth.
Grammar: Always capitalized in this spelling; many players now say jaw harp or mouth harp.
Patterns
- play the Jew's harp
- a Jew's harp solo
He tucked the Jew's harp against his lips and plucked out a steady rhythm.
The folk band added a Jew's harp to the song for a twanging sound.
Museum visitors could try a Jew's harp from a collection of world instruments.
nouncountablespecialist
A similar small plucked instrument found in many cultures, under names such as khomus or morsing.
Grammar: Names differ by region; the English term is a general label.
Patterns
- a Siberian Jew's harp
- a Jew's harp from somewhere
The khomus is a Siberian Jew's harp played in a traditional style.
In India, the morsing is a Jew's harp used in classical music.
Archaeologists found a bronze Jew's harp in an old burial site.
Word forms
| plural | Jew's harps |
|---|
Common combinations
- play a Jew's harp
- He learned to play a Jew's harp at fourteen.
- twang of a Jew's harp
- The twang of a Jew's harp echoed over the porch.
- Jew's harp solo
- The song opens with a Jew's harp solo.
- pluck the Jew's harp
- She plucked the Jew's harp and changed the sound by shaping her mouth.
- Jew's harp player
- A Jew's harp player performed at the festival.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jaw harp
- Jaw harp is a modern neutral alternative, and many players now prefer it to Jew's harp.
- mouth harp
- Mouth harp is another alternative, but in some places it also means a harmonica.
- khomus
- Khomus is the specific Siberian version of the instrument, not the general English name.
Word family
Commonly confused: Jew's harp or harmonica? Jew's harp or harp?
Jew's harp vs harmonica
A harmonica is blown and drawn through to make notes, while a Jew's harp is plucked against the teeth.
Jew's harp vs harp
A harp has many strings plucked by fingers, but a Jew's harp has a single metal tongue.
Practice
Which instrument is held against the teeth and plucked to make a twanging buzz?
Choose one answer.
A Jew's harp, also called a jaw harp, is plucked while held at the mouth. A harmonica is blown, a concert harp is large and strung, and a flute is blown across.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Jew's harp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.