shh
/ʃ̩ː/interjection, noun, verb
shh is spelled S-H-H: 3 letters. It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,556th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, shh means “Demanding silence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in shh?
| Letters | 3: S-H-H |
|---|---|
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,556th 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 shh?
Shh appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,556th 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 shh?
- /ʃ̩ː/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-Shh.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with shh
Also written: sh, sonic hedgehog.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of shh
- sh
- shhh
- ssh
- shhes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- shhs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- shhing participle, present
- shhed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shh mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
Demanding silence.
- 2
Comforting one who is crying.
noun
- 1
An utterance of shh.
- 2
Alternative form of SHH (“sonic hedgehog”); Abbreviation of sonic hedgehog.
verb
- 1
To utter shh.
noun
- 1
Initialism of sonic hedgehog homolog (protein).
- 2
Initialism of sonic hedgehog gene (“the gene encoding for the protein "sonic hedgehog"”).
noun
- 1
Alternative form of SHH (“sonic hedgehog”); Abbreviation of sonic hedgehog.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shh in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense requesting silence:
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 shh come from?
From hush. Likely imitative of a nonverbal utterance. Compare Scots whisht (“hush!”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).