hospice
/ˈhɑspɪs/noun
hospice is spelled H-O-S-P-I-C-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hospice means “A lodging for pilgrims or the destitute, normally provided by a monastic order” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hospice is hospices.
How many letters and syllables are in hospice?
| Letters | 7: H-O-S-P-I-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,342nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is hospice?
Hospice appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd 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 hospice?
- US /ˈhɑspɪs/
- UK /ˈhɒspɪs/
Hospice has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-hospice.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of hospice
- hospices plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hospice mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
datedA lodging for pilgrims or the destitute, normally provided by a monastic order.
- 2
The provision of palliative care for terminally ill patients, either at a specialized facility or at a residence, and support for the family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.
- 3
A specialized facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hospice in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | hospice |
| German | Hospizdienst , Hospiz |
| Portuguese | cuidados paliativos |
| Spanish | hospicio |
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 hospice come from?
Borrowed from French hospice, from Old French hospise, from Latin hospitium (“hospitality, an inn”). Doublet of hospitium.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).