Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ringworm

/ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.29 in modern English

Syllables: ring-worm
IPA: /ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/

14

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A contagious fungal infection of the skin, characterized by ring-shaped discolored patches, covered by vesicles or scales.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"In superficial mycoses infection is localised to the skin, the hair, and the nails. An example is ringworm or tinea, an infection of the skin by a dermatophyte."
"Many of these natives, especially the lower classes, and fishermen, have their skins disfigured in a singular manner, by a sort of scurfy disease, similar to the ring-worm, or rather to a person whose skin was peeling off from the effects of the sun."

Etymology

From Middle English ringworm (“ringworm; intestinal worm”), from Old English rengwyrm (“maw-worm, intestinal worm”), equivalent to ring + worm.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: ringworm, rengwyrm

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

ringworms (plural)

Derived Forms

ringwormed

Phrases

beard ringworm gray patch ringworm groin ringworm honeycomb ringworm scalp ringworm sylvatic ringworm

Frequently Paired Words

dermatomycosis

Synonyms

dermatophytosis tinea

Questions

How do you pronounce ringworm?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/.
What does ringworm mean?: A contagious fungal infection of the skin, characterized by ring-shaped discolored patches, covered by vesicles or scales.
Where does ringworm come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce ringworm

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