scrofula
scro·fu·la/ˈskɹɔfjələ/noun
scrofula is spelled S-C-R-O-F-U-L-A: 8 letters and 3 syllables (scro·fu·la). It appears about once in every 26 million words in written English, the 154,067th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, scrofula means “A form of tuberculosis, most common in women 30-40 years of age, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph nodes, especially in the neck, and…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of scrofula is scrofulas or scrofulae.
How many letters and syllables are in scrofula?
| Letters | 8: S-C-R-O-F-U-L-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: scro·fu·la |
| In writing | about once in every 26 million words; the 154,067th 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 scrofula?
Scrofula appears about once in every 26 million words in written English, the 154,067th 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 scrofula?
- UK /ˈskɹɒfjʊlə/
- US /ˈskɹɔfjələ/
Scrofula has 3 syllables, split scro·fu·la in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-scrofula.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of scrofula
- scrofulas plural
- scrofulae plural
- scrofulæ plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does scrofula mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A form of tuberculosis, most common in women 30-40 years of age, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph nodes, especially in the neck, and often chronic, intractable skin inflammation as well.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Scrofula in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense form of tuberculosis:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | écrouelles, scrofule |
| German | Skrofeln, Skrofulose |
| Portuguese | escrófula |
| Spanish | escrófula |
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 scrofula come from?
Borrowed from Latin scrōfulae, a diminutive form of scrōfa (“breeding sow”), because swine were supposed to be subject to the complaint; or by fanciful comparison of the glandular swellings to little pigs.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).