hello — used as a greeting or to begin a phone conversation
Part of speech: INTERJECTION
Definition: used as a greeting or to begin a phone conversation
Pronunciation (IPA): /həˈloʊ/
Example Sentences
- My phone's autocorrect changed 'hello' to 'jello', so I accidentally invited my boss to eat dessert instead of greeting him.
- Hello, is anyone there? I've been talking to this plant for an hour!
- She practiced saying hello in the mirror before her first day at school.
hello
INTERJECTION[/həˈloʊ/]
used as a greeting or to begin a phone conversation
She waves and says hello to her new neighbor across the fence.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Hello emerged as a widespread greeting in the 19th century with the invention of the telephone. Originally spelled 'hallo' or 'hullo', the word gained prominence as a telephone greeting, with Thomas Edison famously proposing it as the standard telephonic salutation.
Breakdown
hallo (or hullo) → hello; the spelling shift reflects the standardization of telephone etiquette in the late 19th century, with the modern form 'hello' becoming the predominant greeting convention.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My phone's autocorrect changed 'hello' to 'jello', so I accidentally invited my boss to eat dessert instead of greeting him.”
“Hello, is anyone there? I've been talking to this plant for an hour!”
“She practiced saying hello in the mirror before her first day at school.”
“Hello! Welcome to our English class today.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.