hiccup
hic·cup/ˈhɪkʌp/noun, verb
hiccup is spelled H-I-C-C-U-P: 6 letters and 2 syllables (hic·cup). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hiccup means “A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hiccup is hiccups.
How many letters and syllables are in hiccup?
| Letters | 6: H-I-C-C-U-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: hic·cup |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd most frequent word form |
| 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 common is hiccup?
Hiccup appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hiccup?
- /ˈhɪkʌp/
- /ˈhɪkəp/
Hiccup has 2 syllables, split hic·cup in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-UK-Hiccough.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of hiccup
- hiccups plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- hiccuping participle, present
- hiccupping participle, present
- hiccuped participle, past
- hiccupped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hiccup mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound.
There was a loud hiccup from the back of the room and the class erupted in laughter.
- 2
A case of the hiccups; the condition of having the spasms of hiccupping; singultus; diaphragmatic myoclonus.
- 3
Any spasm or sudden change.
- 4
informalA minor obstacle or setback.
There's been a slight hiccup in the processing of this quarter's results.
verb
- 1
To produce a hiccup; have the hiccups.
- 2
To say with a hiccup.
"I haven't touched a drop, officer," the suspect hiccupped.
- 3
To produce an abortive sound like a hiccup.
The car engine hiccupped but wouldn't start.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hiccup in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | hoquet , accroc, cahot, anicroche, obstacle , hoqueter |
| German | see Thesaurus:Schluckauf , kleiner Rückschlag, kleines Hindernis, kleines Problem , hicksen |
| Portuguese | soluço , soluçar |
| Spanish | hipo, singulto, hipido, jipido, jipío , hipar |
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 hiccup come from?
From earlier hickop, alteration of earlier hicket, hyckock, from hic (onomatopoeic) + -ock (diminutive suffix). Akin to Scots hick, hix (“hiccup”), West Frisian hik (“hiccup”), Dutch hik (“hiccup”), Middle Low German hükup, huckup, hueckup (modern Low German hick (“hiccup”)), German hicksen (“to hiccup”, verb), Alemannic German Hidsgi (“hiccup”), Danish hikke (“hiccup”), Swedish hicka (“hiccup”), hicka (“to hiccup”, verb), Icelandic hiksti (“hiccup”). Displaced yex, from Middle English yexen, ȝisken, ȝixen, ȝoxen (“to hiccup”), from Old English ġiscian, ġeocsian (“to hiccup”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).