Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

chikungunya

/t͡ʃɪkʊŋˈɡʊnjə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.19 in modern English

Syllables
chikun-gun-ya
IPA
/t͡ʃɪkʊŋˈɡʊnjə/
24
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A viral fever caused by the Chikungunya virus, an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Makonde chikungunya (“that which bends up”), apparently referring to the arthritic effects of the disease. See -kunja, a suffix related to bending. Compare Swahili kunja (“to bend, to fold”).

Word Breakdown

Usage

Questions

How do you pronounce chikungunya?
The recorded pronunciation is /t͡ʃɪkʊŋˈɡʊnjə/.
What does chikungunya mean?
A viral fever caused by the Chikungunya virus, an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites.
Where does chikungunya come from?
Borrowed from Makonde chikungunya (“that which bends up”), apparently referring to the arthritic effects of the disease. See -kunja, a suffix related to bending. Compare Swahili kunja (“to bend, to fold”).

How to pronounce chikungunya

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