Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

phobia

/ˈfoʊ.bi.ə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.10 in modern English

Syllables: pho-bia
IPA: /ˈfoʊ.bi.ə/

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something).

noun

An aversion or dislike (of something).

Example Sentences

"I know someone with a strange phobia of ladders."
"It was when anthropophobia set in, when he was made uneasy by people who walked too close to him, that, sagely viewing his list and seeing how many phobias were now checked, he permitted himself to rest."
"Some patients have the phobia of light, and others have the phobia of darkness. Another common aversion is that of high places. The phobiac of this type can not sit in the gallery […]"
"For some children and their parents, however, it can be difficult to determine when fears are typical and when they are developing into more serious phobias or anxiety disorders. […] But once fears become debilitating or impair daily function, they can be classified as a phobia or anxiety disorder, said Thomas Ollendick, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Virginia Tech, who is known for his work with children and adolescents."
"For as interviewer Than Win Htut expressed it, “misunderstandings about, and phobia of, gay life and homosexuality are very common in Burma.” Than Win Htut went on to observe that in Burma[…]"

Etymology

First attested in c. 1790, from words ending in -phobia, ultimately from Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos, “fear”). Compare ism, from -ism, itis, from -itis, and ana, from -ana.

Origin

First known use: First attested in c. 1790

Word Breakdown

Root: *bʰegʷ-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈfoʊ.bi.ə/
British English: /ˈfəʊ.bi.ə/

Inflected Forms

phobias (plural) phobiae (plural) phobiæ (plural)

Derived Forms

counterphobia phobanthropy phobiac phobian phobiaphobia phobic phobist pithecophobia pseudophobia

Phrases

social phobia specific phobia -phobe -phobia -phobiac -phobic

Frequently Paired Words

-phobe -phobia -phobiac -phobic

Synonyms

phobic disorder phobic neurosis

Rhymes With

homophobia xenophobia claustrophobia agoraphobia zenobia cobia cancerphobia arachnophobia photophobia trypophobia hydrophobia acrophobia

Questions

How do you pronounce phobia?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfoʊ.bi.ə/.
What does phobia mean?: An irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something).
Where does phobia come from?: First known use: First attested in c. 1790.

How to pronounce phobia

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