Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

many happy returns

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.51 in modern English

Syllables
many hap-py re-turns
IPA
31
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!

Etymology

The earliest attributable use was by Lady Newdigate in a letter written in 1789 (and published in Newdigate-Newdegate Cheverels in 1898): Many happy returns of ye day to us my Dr Love.

Questions

What does many happy returns mean?
A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!
Where does many happy returns come from?
The earliest attributable use was by Lady Newdigate in a letter written in 1789 (and published in Newdigate-Newdegate Cheverels in 1898): Many happy returns of ye day to us my Dr Love.

How to pronounce many happy returns

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “many happy returns”.
  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 “many happy returns”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “many happy returns” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.