Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

first footing

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.50 in modern English

Syllables
first -foot-ing
IPA
19
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The practice, during Hogmanay, of visiting friends and family, especially to be the first person to cross a home's threshold after midnight on New Year's Eve bearing a small gift.

Uncountable

Etymology

From Scots tae first-fit (“to be the first to visit at the new year”, literally “to first-foot”).

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

first-footing (alternative)

Phrases

first-foot

Frequently Paired Words

first-foot

Questions

What does first footing mean?
The practice, during Hogmanay, of visiting friends and family, especially to be the first person to cross a home's threshold after midnight on New Year's Eve bearing a small gift.
Where does first footing come from?
From Scots tae first-fit (“to be the first to visit at the new year”, literally “to first-foot”).

How to pronounce first footing

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