A Sudden Noisy Stopping Of The Breath This Word Can Be Spelt In Two Ways Hot |verified| Jun 2026

—the large muscle at the base of your lungs that helps you breathe. When that muscle snaps downward unexpectedly, you take a sudden gulp of air. This air hits your vocal cords, causing them to shut abruptly and produce that signature "hic" sound. Hiccup vs. Hiccough: Why the Two Spellings?

emerged later, in the 17th century, as a result of folk etymology. Writers mistakenly believed the condition was related to coughing (since both involve a sudden throat spasm). So they respelled “cup” as “cough,” even though the pronunciation never changed. This is known as a “spelling pronunciation” that never actually altered the spoken word. —the large muscle at the base of your

This version popped up about a century later. Because hiccups involve the respiratory system and sound somewhat like a cough, people mistakenly assumed the two words were related. They changed the "up" to "cough" to make it look more "correct" or medical, despite the two conditions having completely different physical causes. Hiccup vs