How to Pronounce Rift Valley Fever

Say it like this: RIFT VAL-ee FEE-ver. The first word rhymes with 'gift,' the second word has the stress on VAL (the first part), and the last word rhymes with 'beaver.' Put the strongest emphasis on RIFT at the very beginning.

The first syllable, RIFT, gets the main stress—you say it louder and longer than the other parts. A common mistake is stressing VAL-ley instead, but the correct way is to emphasize RIFT first.

Here's how it divides: RIFT / VAL-ley / FEE-ver. That's four syllables total: one for RIFT, two for VAL-ley, and one for FEE-ver.

A valley is a low area of land between hills or mountains. In this case, it refers to the East African Rift Valley, a large geographical region where this disease was first identified and studied.

A rift means a deep crack or split in the earth's surface. The Rift Valley is named for the massive geological crack that runs through East Africa, and the fever got its name from where it was discovered.

It's a viral illness named after the East African region where it occurs. The disease spreads mainly through contact with infected animals or mosquito bites.

Yes, doctors and scientists often abbreviate it as RVF. You say the letters out loud: R-V-F, or you can say 'ar-vee-eff.'

Words like 'dengue fever' and 'yellow fever' also use the word fever because they are all viral illnesses that cause high body temperature as a symptom. These diseases are often spread by insects like mosquitoes.