# scream

> English word · Noun · IPA /skɹiːm/ · frequency rank #5,732

## Definitions
1. A loud, emphatic, exclamation of extreme emotion, especially horror, fear, excitement, or anger; it may comprise a word or a sustained, high-pitched vowel sound.
2. A loud vocalisation of many animals, especially in response to pain or fear.
3. A form of singing associated with the metal and screamo styles of music. It is a loud, rough, distorted version of the voice; rather than the normal voice of the singer.
4. Used as an intensifier.
5. An exclamation mark.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English scremen, borrowed from or cognate to Middle Dutch scremen (“to yell; shout”) and Old Norse skræma (“to terrify; scare”); compare West Flemish schreemen, Zealandic schreême (“to shout; yell; cry”), Swedish skrämma (“to spook; frighten”), Danish skræmme (“to scare”), West Frisian skrieme (“to weep”). Compare also Swedish skräna (“to yell; shout; howl”), Dutch schreien (“to cry; weep”), German schreien (“to scream”). Related to shriek, skrike.

## Easily confused with
- **seam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-seam)
- **steam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-steam)
- **screw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-screw)
- **scrum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-scrum)
- **screen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-screen)
- **spread** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-spread)
- **stream** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-stream)
- **streak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-streak)
- **streams** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-streams)
- **screamer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scream-vs-screamer)
- **scam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scam-vs-scream)
- **scrap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scrap-vs-scream)

## Common misspellings (9)
`csream`, `sccream`, `sceram`, `scraem`, `screamm`, `screma`, `scrream`, `srceam`, `sscream`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/scream