© 2026 SDPB
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

For Friday The 13th, Say It With Us: Paraskevidekatriaphobia (We'll Teach You How)

A calendar page for Friday the 13th falls to the ground.
picture alliance via Getty Images
A calendar page for Friday the 13th falls to the ground.

Updated May 13, 2022 at 6:48 AM ET

Here's the deal. We can't help you with your fear of Friday the 13th. Who are we to judge? Some of us are afraid of cantaloupes or crumpets. Or holes.

What we can do is tell you that your fear has a name: paraskevidekatriaphobia — and we can teach you how to say it.

Will it help? Who knows? Keep repeating it and your mind will be so occupied that before you know it, you'll land on Saturday the 14th!

So here goes:

"Break it down into syllables," says Korva Coleman, our resident expert on pronunciations. "When you take a look at that middle "i" after the "v" ... it's pronounced like a double "e."

Korva teaches us how to say paraskevidekatriaphobia

Happy Friday, y'all!

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Can't find what you're looking for?


We're here to help.



If you are are having trouble locating or accessing SDPB content and services for any reason, including a need for accommodations such as alternate formats for accessibility purposes, we will do our best to provide the assistance you need.



Visit our Contact Page to explore our support options, or call us at (605) 677-5861 and we will help you find where you need to be.