How Do You Spell FRIGHTENS?

Pronunciation: [fɹˈa͡ɪtənz] (IPA)

The word "frightens" is spelled with the letter combination 'gh', which makes it challenging to pronounce for non-native English speakers. The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription of this word is /ˈfraɪtnz/, where the 'gh' sound is pronounced as a silent letter, and the '-en' ending is pronounced as /-nz/. Therefore, the word 'frightens' is pronounced as FRY-tens, with the stress on the first syllable. Despite the tricky spelling, it is still an integral part of the English language and is commonly used to express fear or anxiety.

FRIGHTENS Meaning and Definition

  1. Frightens is a verb that refers to the act of instilling fear or causing someone to become scared or terrified. It is the present tense form of the verb "frighten" and indicates a current or ongoing action of causing fear.

    When something or someone frightens a person, it means that it generates a feeling of fear, apprehension, or dread within them. This reaction can be triggered by various factors such as sudden loud noises, unexpected movements, threatening gestures, or the presence of a dangerous or frightening object or creature.

    The act of frightening can have a physiological and psychological impact on individuals, potentially causing increased heart rate, trembling, sweating, and a desire to escape or seek safety. It is important to note that what may be frightening to one person might not be to another, as each individual has different fears, triggers, and thresholds.

    The verb frightens can be employed to describe both intentional and unintentional actions. For instance, intentionally hiding and then jumping out to startle someone is a deliberate act of frightening them. On the other hand, accidentally encountering a snake while hiking can naturally frighten a person due to the sudden appearance of the potentially dangerous animal.

    In summary, to frighten means to induce fear or terror in someone through various stimuli or encounters, causing an individual to experience heightened emotions of fear or apprehension.

Top Common Misspellings for FRIGHTENS *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for FRIGHTENS

Etymology of FRIGHTENS

The word "frightens" is derived from the Old English term "fyrhtan", which means "to frighten" or "to terrify". This Old English verb is believed to have originated from the Proto-Germanic word "*furhtijaną". Ultimately, it can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root "*pr̥k-", meaning "to jump" or "to be terrified". Variants of this term can be found in other Germanic languages, such as German "fürchten" and Dutch "vrechten". Over time, "fyrhtan" evolved into "frighten" in Middle English and eventually became "frightens" in its present form.

Similar spelling words for FRIGHTENS

Conjugate verb Frightens

CONDITIONAL

I would frighten
we would frighten
you would frighten
he/she/it would frighten
they would frighten

FUTURE

I will frighten
we will frighten
you will frighten
he/she/it will frighten
they will frighten

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have frightened
we will have frightened
you will have frightened
he/she/it will have frightened
they will have frightened

PAST

I frightened
we frightened
you frightened
he/she/it frightened
they frightened

PAST PERFECT

I had frightened
we had frightened
you had frightened
he/she/it had frightened
they had frightened

PRESENT

I frighten
we frighten
you frighten
he/she/it frightens
they frighten

PRESENT PERFECT

I have frightened
we have frightened
you have frightened
he/she/it has frightened
they have frightened
I am frightening
we are frightening
you are frightening
he/she/it is frightening
they are frightening
I was frightening
we were frightening
you were frightening
he/she/it was frightening
they were frightening
I will be frightening
we will be frightening
you will be frightening
he/she/it will be frightening
they will be frightening
I have been frightening
we have been frightening
you have been frightening
he/she/it has been frightening
they have been frightening
I had been frightening
we had been frightening
you had been frightening
he/she/it had been frightening
they had been frightening
I will have been frightening
we will have been frightening
you will have been frightening
he/she/it will have been frightening
they will have been frightening
I would have frightened
we would have frightened
you would have frightened
he/she/it would have frightened
they would have frightened
I would be frightening
we would be frightening
you would be frightening
he/she/it would be frightening
they would be frightening
I would have been frightening
we would have been frightening
you would have been frightening
he/she/it would have been frightening
they would have been frightening

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