Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

syphilis

/ˈsɪfɪlɪs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.10 in modern English

Syllables
syphilis
IPA
/ˈsɪfɪlɪs/
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A disease spread via sexual activity, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From New Latin syphilis, originally the title of a poem, circa 1530, by Girolamo Fracastoro concerning “Syphilus”, a shepherd boy who insulted the Greek god Apollo and was punished by that god with a horrible disease. Syphilis in the Old World began circa 1495. More in Wikipedia at History of syphilis.

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

syph (alternative)

Derived Forms

antisyphilis myelosyphilis neurosyphilis oculosyphilis otosyphilis parasyphilis syphilitic syphilize syphiloid

Phrases

sympathy is between shit and syphilis

Frequently Paired Words

luetic bejel button scurvy endemic syphilis frambesia yaws

Synonyms

syphilis cardboard box Cupid's disease French disease French gout French pox great-pox ladies' fever leprosy lues lues venerea pox

Questions

How do you pronounce syphilis?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɪfɪlɪs/.
What does syphilis mean?
A disease spread via sexual activity, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
Where does syphilis come from?
From New Latin syphilis, originally the title of a poem, circa 1530, by Girolamo Fracastoro concerning “Syphilus”, a shepherd boy who insulted the Greek god Apollo and was punished by that god with a horrible disease. Syphilis in the Old World began circa 1495. More in Wikipedia at History of syphilis.

How to pronounce syphilis

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