Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hijab

/hɪˈd͡ʒɑːb/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.15 in modern English

Syllables: hi-jab
IPA: /hɪˈd͡ʒɑːb/

17

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women, covering the hair and neck.

Countable

noun

The practice, among Muslim women, of covering the body after the age of puberty in front of non-related (non-family) adult males.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"“When I’m dressed like this, they know,” says Lufta Islam, touching her hijab and long dress. ” ‘OK, she’s a Muslim girl.’ “"
"The belief that Muslim females observe hijab because men force them to do so insults some Muslim females who have based their decision on their understanding of Islam."

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic حِجَاب (ḥijāb, “veil”).

Usage

Inflected Forms

hijabs (plural) hejab (alternative, nonstandard) hijaab (alternative, nonstandard) hajib (alternative, nonstandard) hijabi (alternative, nonstandard)

Derived Forms

hijabed hijabi hijabify hijabista hijabization hijabize hijabless hijabophobia hijabster

Frequently Paired Words

hoejabi niqab shayla burqa

Rhymes With

bob punjab kebab nawab niqab kolob abwab

Questions

How do you pronounce hijab?: The recorded pronunciation is /hɪˈd͡ʒɑːb/.
What does hijab mean?: A traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women, covering the hair and neck.
Where does hijab come from?: Borrowed from Arabic حِجَاب (ḥijāb, “veil”).

How to pronounce hijab

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