Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hay fever

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.74 in modern English

Syllables
hay fever
IPA
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
1
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An allergy to the pollen of grass or other plants that causes symptoms similar to those of a cold; pollinosis.

Uncountable

Etymology

First attested by John Bostock in 1819. The smell of hay in the summer was thought to be the origin of the condition.

Usage

Inflected Forms

hay fevers (plural) hay-fever (alternative) hayfever (alternative)

Phrases

hay-feverish hay feverite lunar hay fever non-seasonal hay fever nonseasonal hay fever perennial hay fever

Synonyms

allergic rhinitis hay asthma hay cold pollinosis rose fever

Questions

What does hay fever mean?
An allergy to the pollen of grass or other plants that causes symptoms similar to those of a cold; pollinosis.
Where does hay fever come from?
First attested by John Bostock in 1819. The smell of hay in the summer was thought to be the origin of the condition.

How to pronounce hay fever

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