Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

derecho

/dəˈɹeɪ.t͡ʃoʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.16 in modern English

Syllables
dere-cho
IPA
/dəˈɹeɪ.t͡ʃoʊ/
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A windstorm characterized by strong, straight-line winds.

American usage

Example Sentences

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Spanish derecho (“straight”). First used by Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs in 1888, apparently coined to distinguish the winds from tornadoes, which rotate; compare tornado. Doublet of direct.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /dəˈɹeɪ.t͡ʃoʊ/
  • British English: /dəˈɹeɪ.t͡ʃəʊ/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Law.

Inflected Forms

Questions

How do you pronounce derecho?
The recorded pronunciation is /dəˈɹeɪ.t͡ʃoʊ/.
What does derecho mean?
A windstorm characterized by strong, straight-line winds.
Where does derecho come from?
Learned borrowing from Spanish derecho (“straight”). First used by Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs in 1888, apparently coined to distinguish the winds from tornadoes, which rotate; compare tornado. Doublet of direct.

How to pronounce derecho

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