boo hoo
/ˌbuːˈhuː/interjection
boo hoo is spelled B-O-O-H-O-O: 6 letters. As an interjection, boo hoo means “Alternative form of boo-hoo” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in boo hoo?
| Letters | 6: B-O-O-H-O-O |
|---|---|
| In writing | a phrase: the frequency list counts single words |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce boo hoo?
- /ˌbuːˈhuː/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-boo_hoo.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-NaomiAmethyst-boohoo.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with boo hoo
Also written: boohoo (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of boo hoo
- boohoo
- boohoohoo
- boo-hoos present, singular, he/she/it
- boo-hooing participle, present
- boo-hooed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does boo hoo mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
Alternative form of boo-hoo.
interjection
- 1
The sound of crying.
"Boo-hoo!" cried Lincoln after he hit his funny bone.
- 2
colloquialIt is not worth crying about; an expression of contempt.
So you broke it. Boo-hoo! Get a grip and clean up the mess.
verb
- 1
colloquialTo cry, weep.
- 2
To complain, whine.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Boo hoo in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense sound of crying:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ouin-ouin, bou hou |
| German | buhuu |
| Spanish | snif, bua |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does boo hoo come from?
Onomatopoeia evoking cries.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).