Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cry for help

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.56 in modern English

Syllables: cry -for help
IPA

23

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cry, for, help.

noun

Acting out as a means of displaying a subconscious desire for attention or help.

Example Sentences

"We heard the drowning woman's cries for help and ran to assist."
"In her second year at the school Alexis stopped doing her homework and would often scribble on walls. Her teachers wondered whether this was a cry for help, or if she was simply misbehaving."
"Tucker Carlson (also a jacket and tie guy) picked up on the hoo-ha on his Fox News show, calling the hoodie-jacket combination a “cry for help” and inviting Roger Stone, the disgraced former political operative and author of his own “Best and Worst dressed List,” to comment."

Inflected Forms

cries for help (plural)

Questions

What does cry for help mean?: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cry, for, help.

How to pronounce cry for help

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