Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rheum

/ɹuːm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.79 in modern English

Syllables
rheum
IPA
/ɹuːm/
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Thin or watery discharge of mucus or serum, especially from the eyes or nose, formerly thought to cause disease.

Uncountable

noun

Illness or disease thought to be caused by such secretions; a catarrh, a cold; rheumatism.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Tears.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Clipping of rheumatologist.

Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English reume, rewme, from Anglo-Norman reume, from Late Latin rheuma, from Ancient Greek ῥεῦμα (rheûma, “stream, humour”). Doublet of stream.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɹuːm/
  • British English: /ɹuːm/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce rheum?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɹuːm/.
What does rheum mean?
Thin or watery discharge of mucus or serum, especially from the eyes or nose, formerly thought to cause disease.
Where does rheum come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce rheum

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