Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fiddlehead

/ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.56 in modern English

Syllables: fid-dle-head
IPA: /ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd/

19

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The scroll-shaped decoration at the tip of a fiddle.

noun

A similar scroll-shaped ornament on a ship's bow.

noun

The furled fronds of a young fern, sometimes harvested for food consumption.

Example Sentences

"Such a ship as the Rose of Devon frigate, standing out for the open sea, is a sight the world no longer affords. Those ships are “gone, gone, gone with lost Atlantis.” Their lofty poops, their little bonaventure masts, their lateen sails aft, their high forecastles and tall bowsprits with the square spritsail flaunted before the fiddlehead, came down from an even earlier day"

Etymology

From fiddle + head.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd/

Inflected Forms

fiddleheads (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

fiddleback fiddleneck filicoid filicology figurehead

Synonyms

scroll circinate vernation crosier tete de violin tete-de-violin violin head cinnamon fern fiddlehead fern osmunda cinnamonea

Questions

How do you pronounce fiddlehead?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd/.
What does fiddlehead mean?: The scroll-shaped decoration at the tip of a fiddle.
Where does fiddlehead come from?: From fiddle + head.

How to pronounce fiddlehead

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fiddlehead”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “fiddlehead”.
Repeat and practice — Say “fiddlehead” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.