Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

heat

/hit/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.86 in modern English

Syllables
heat
IPA
/hit/
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Thermal energy.

Uncountable

noun

The condition or quality of being hot.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An attribute of a spice that causes a burning sensation in the mouth.

Uncountable

noun

A period of intensity, particularly of emotion.

Uncountable

noun

An undesirable amount of attention.

Uncountable

noun

A fastball.

Countable

noun

A condition in which a mammal is aroused sexually or where it is especially fertile and therefore eager to mate.

Uncountable

noun

A condition in which a mammal is aroused sexually or where it is especially fertile and therefore eager to mate.

Countable; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English hete, from Old English hǣtu, from Proto-West Germanic *haitī, from Proto-Germanic *haitį̄ (“heat”), from Proto-Indo-European *keHy- (“heat; hot”). Cognate with Scots hete (“heat”), Saterland Frisian Hatte (“heat”), Old High German heizī (“heat”). Related also to Dutch hitte (“heat”), German Hitze (“heat”), Swedish hetta (“heat”), Faroese and Icelandic hiti (“heat”). Related to hot.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *keHy-, hete, hǣtu, *haitī, *haitį̄, heten

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /hit/
  • British English: /hiːt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

mul:q HE AT HESH

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce heat?
The recorded pronunciation is /hit/.
What does heat mean?
Thermal energy.
Where does heat come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce heat

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