Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

moorhen

/ˈmʊɹˌhɛn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.59 in modern English

Syllables: moorhen
IPA: /ˈmʊɹˌhɛn/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various medium-sized water birds of the genus Gallinula, of the rail family, that feed in open water margins.

noun

A female red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica.

British usage

Example Sentences

"The pond was another favourite place to visit. Moorhens strutted from the neighbouring bushes, and a bevy of Muscovy ducks, a study in black, white and red, waddled from the farmyard hard by to enjoy a refreshing splash."

Etymology

From Middle English morhen, perhaps from Old English *mōrhenn, an alteration of Old English worhenn (compare coordinate masculine term mōrhana, a possible corruption of worhana (“pheasant”)), equivalent to moor + hen.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: morhen, *mōrhenn, worhenn

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmʊɹˌhɛn/
British English: /ˈmʊəɹˌhɛn/

Usage

British usage

Inflected Forms

moorhens (plural)

Phrases

common moorhen dusky moorhen European moorhen lesser moorhen

Frequently Paired Words

moorbird moorcock moorfowl

Synonyms

marsh hen gallinule stank hen stankie moggy gallinula chloropus

Questions

How do you pronounce moorhen?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmʊɹˌhɛn/.
What does moorhen mean?: Any of various medium-sized water birds of the genus Gallinula, of the rail family, that feed in open water margins.
Where does moorhen come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce moorhen

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