Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

flu

/flʉː/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.96 in modern English

Syllables: flu
IPA: /flʉː/

6

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Uncountable

noun

Informal; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"catch flu"
"get over the flu"
"transmit flu"
"He missed work because he caught the flu."
"Every winter, doctors warn about seasonal flu."
"She felt like she had the flu, with aches and fever."

Etymology

Clipping of influenza.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /flʉː/
British English: /fluː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

flus (plural) 'flu (alternative, dated) floo (alternative, dated)

Derived Forms

antiflu fluey fluish flulike flunami flurona superflu

Phrases

24-hour flu Asian flu avian flu benzo flu bird flu blue flu brown bottle flu camel flu

Frequently Paired Words

catarrh flu-flu

Synonyms

grippe grip influenza

Homonyms

flew flue

Rhymes With

to you do who to-do new two too through few true due

Questions

How do you pronounce flu?: The recorded pronunciation is /flʉː/.
What does flu mean?: Influenza.
Where does flu come from?: Clipping of influenza.

How to pronounce flu

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