What does hiccough mean?
Hiccough is a rare, chiefly archaic English spelling of hiccup. As a noun, it refers to a short, involuntary sound produced by a sudden spasm of the diaphragm and the vocal cords; as a verb, it means to make such a sound. The expression is now unusual, and most speakers say hiccup, normally pronounced with a final /p/ rather than the /f/ heard in hiccough. Hiccough nevertheless survives in older writing, dictionaries, and deliberately antiquarian contexts, where it lends a slightly theatrical or humorous air. The word is also easy to mistake for a cough, although the two sounds are anatomically and acoustically different. Knowing the variant clarifies older texts and shows how spelling can preserve the history of a familiar expression.
A short, involuntary, spasmodic sound caused by a sudden contraction of the diaphragm and closure of the vocal cords.
"He let out a loud hiccough and immediately apologized."
Rare or archaic; the usual modern noun is “hiccup.”
To make the characteristic sound of a hiccup; to hiccup.
"The frightened child began to hiccough after running down the stairs."
Rare or archaic and normally used intransitively.
The plural is rare in modern usage; “hiccups” is standard.
"A series of hiccoughs interrupted the child's attempt to speak."
Hiccough is hiccup with a cough-like f: the same familiar hic, but dressed in an older spelling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hiccough come from?
Hiccough developed as an early modern respelling of Middle English hickup, with the final consonant changed under the influence of cough. Hiccup ultimately derives from an imitative Middle Dutch word, hicschep, while hickup and hiccough are historical variants in the same English word family. Hiccough is now chiefly encountered in dictionaries and older or deliberately antiquarian writing.
How hiccough is actually used
The word is now archaic, rare, or deliberately antiquarian. Modern usage overwhelmingly favors “hiccup,” while “hiccough” may suggest an older literary register or humorous formality.
Easily confused with hiccough
Hiccough and hiccup refer to the same bodily sound, but hiccup is the standard modern spelling and is normally pronounced with a final /p/.