Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rickets

/ˈɹɪkɪts/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.41 in modern English

Syllables: rick-ets
IPA: /ˈɹɪkɪts/

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A disorder of infancy and early childhood due to a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft or weak bones.

Uncountable

verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of ricket

Etymology

Unknown. Originally a local name for the disease in Dorset and Somerset, England. Occasionally postulated to be derived from a Dorsetian dialectal term *rucket (“to breathe with difficulty, wheeze”), but the semantic connection is tenuous. See rachitis, but the medical name was chosen purposefully by English physician Daniel Whistler from phonetic similarity to rickets.

Usage

Uncountable

Derived Forms

antirickets ricketed

Frequently Paired Words

ricketiness rickety osteomalacia rachitic ricket

Synonyms

rachitis rhachitis

Rhymes With

ricketts

Questions

How do you pronounce rickets?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹɪkɪts/.
What does rickets mean?: A disorder of infancy and early childhood due to a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft or weak bones.
Where does rickets come from?: Unknown. Originally a local name for the disease in Dorset and Somerset, England. Occasionally postulated to be derived from a Dorsetian dialectal term *rucket (“to breathe with difficulty, wheeze”), but the semantic connection is tenuous. See rachitis, but the medical name was chosen purposefully by English physician Daniel Whistler from phonetic similarity to rickets.

How to pronounce rickets

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