Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

herpes

/ˈhɚ.piz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.35 in modern English

Syllables
her-pes
IPA
/ˈhɚ.piz/
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A viral infection, caused by Human alphaherpesvirus 1 and Human alphaherpesvirus 2, marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or in the mucous membranes or on the genitals.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin herpēs, from Ancient Greek ἕρπης (hérpēs, “herpes”, literally “a creeping”), from ἕρπειν (hérpein, “to creep”).

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈhɚ.piz/
  • British English: /ˈhɜː(ɹ).piz/

Usage

Inflected Forms

herpeses (plural)

Derived Forms

437737 antiherpes herpe herpesviral herpesvirus herpetism postherpes

Phrases

genital herpes herpes angina herpes gladiatorum herpes simplex virus herpes tonsurans space herpes

Frequently Paired Words

herpetology

Synonyms

herpes simplex Human herpesvirus 1 Human herpesvirus 2 herpes virus

Questions

How do you pronounce herpes?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɚ.piz/.
What does herpes mean?
A viral infection, caused by Human alphaherpesvirus 1 and Human alphaherpesvirus 2, marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or in the mucous membranes or on the genitals.
Where does herpes come from?
From Latin herpēs, from Ancient Greek ἕρπης (hérpēs, “herpes”, literally “a creeping”), from ἕρπειν (hérpein, “to creep”).

How to pronounce herpes

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