Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hou]
- /haʊ/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hou]
- /haʊ/
Definitions of hows word
- idioms hows and how!, Informal. certainly! you bet!: Am I happy? And how! 2
- adverb hows in what way or manner; by what means?: How did the accident happen? 1
- adverb hows to what extent, degree, etc.?: How damaged is the car? 1
- adverb hows in what state or condition?: How are you? 1
- adverb hows for what reason; why?: How can you talk such nonsense? 1
- adverb hows to what effect; with what meaning?: How is one to interpret his action? 1
Information block about the term
Origin of hows
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English how, hu, Old English hū; cognate with Old Frisian hū, ho, Dutch hoe; akin to German wie (Old High German hweo), Gothic hwaiwa
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Hows
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
hows popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
hows usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for hows
noun hows
- motive — something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive.
- mystery — anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown: the mysteries of nature.
- cause — a person or thing that acts, happens, or exists in such a way that some specific thing happens as a result; the producer of an effect: You have been the cause of much anxiety. What was the cause of the accident?
- proof — evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth.
- how — in what way or manner; by what means?: How did the accident happen?