Dengue is a widely spreading tropical disease caused by the dengue virus, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. In medical contexts, it refers to a dengue fever illness characterized by high fever, severe headache, and joint pains. In everyday use, it may describe anything relating to dengue in discussions of outbreaks, prevention, or public health. (2-4 sentences, 50-80 words)
"Researchers are tracking dengue hotspots to inform vector-control strategies."
"Residents were urged to install screens and repellents to reduce dengue bites."
"The study assessed dengue vaccine efficacy in various age groups."
"During the outbreak, schools distributed information on dengue prevention and symptoms."
Dengue derives from the Swahili ki-dengue or dengue, used to describe a malarial-like campaign in the 18th century, and possibly from the Spanish word dengue meaning “careful behavior, caution.” The first English records appear in the early 18th century, originally referring to an illness described by travelers in the Caribbean and Asia where mosquitoes carry the virus. The term evolved through colonial medical literature as physicians distinguished dengue fever from other fevers, later consolidating into the modern name for the disease and the virus that causes it. Over time, dengue came to denote both the illness and the disease complex caused by dengue virus serotypes 1–4, with public health discourse expanding to include prevention, vaccination, and vector control. The word’s usage reflects epidemiological history, tropical medicine, and global health discussions that intensified with international travel and urbanization.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Dengue" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Dengue"
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Dengue is pronounced DEN-gay (US/UK variations exist). In IPA US: /ˈdɛnɡi/ but many speakers say /ˈdeŋɡi/ in some regions. The stress is on the first syllable. Think: DEN- (short e as in “bed”) followed by /ɡi/ as in “gee.” In careful speech, you can hear the hard g, but in rapid speech it may be devoiced to /k/. Audio reference: the pronunciation samples in major dictionaries and Forvo entries reflect both /ˈdɛŋɡi/ and /ˈdenɡu̯/ variants depending on accent.
Common errors: mispronouncing the initial vowel (saying /i/ as in “deny”), or turning /ɡi/ into /dʒi/ or /gju/; devoicing the final consonant in fast speech; and misplacing stress on the second syllable. Correction tips: keep a clear /e/ or /ɛ/ in the first syllable (DEN- or DEH-ng); finish with a crisp /ɡi/ or /ɡiː/ depending on your accent; and practice the word in isolation and in phrases to maintain first-syllable stress.
In US, the first vowel often realized as /ˈdɛnɡi/ with a short e; in UK, you may hear /ˈdeŋɡi/ with a slightly longer e-like vowel; in some Australian speech, /ˈdeŋɡi/ or /ˈdɛnɡi/ can occur, with fast clipped final syllable. The rhoticity doesn’t greatly affect dengue, but vowel quality and vowel length can shift. Regardless, the /d/ + /e/ + /ŋ/ sequence remains stable; the final /ɡi/ may be more or less tense depending on register.
Two main challenges: the alveolar nasal plus velar stop cluster /nɡ/ can be tricky if you’re not producing the sequence smoothly; and the vowel quality in the first syllable can vary (/ɛ/ vs /e/), leading to mispronunciation as /dɪn/ or /dɛŋɪ/. Tongue position needs to be high-front for /e/ or mid-close for /eɪ/ in some varieties, and the final /i/ requires a high front unrounded vowel, like in “see.” Practicing the /d/ plus /ɛn/ and the /ɡi/ should normalize it.
Does dengue ever get pronounced with the final vowel lengthened in some contexts? In careful speech, speakers may enunciate /ˈdɛnɡi/ with a shorter final vowel than in “dengue fever” where a longer ɪ or iː can appear in some dialects due to pacing. Most standard pronunciations settle on a short, crisp /i/ at the end, but rapid speech can reduce it toward a schwa in typical conversational speech. Watch for tone and pace when labeling clinical terms.
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