Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pherkad

/ˈfɜːrkæd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
pherkad
IPA
/ˈfɜːrkæd/
17
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
1
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

γ Ursae Minoris, a star in the constellation Ursa Minor, formerly a dual North Star with Kochab from about 1000 BC to about AD 300.

Etymology

From Arabic فرقد (farqad, “calf”), from aḫfa al farkadayn ("the dim one of the two calves") in reference to Pherkad and Kochab, previously dual North Stars. Formally approved by the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Star Names on 21 August 2016.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfɜːrkæd/

Synonyms

Gamma Ursae Minoris γ Ursae Minoris Pherkad Major

Questions

How do you pronounce pherkad?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɜːrkæd/.
What does pherkad mean?
γ Ursae Minoris, a star in the constellation Ursa Minor, formerly a dual North Star with Kochab from about 1000 BC to about AD 300.
Where does pherkad come from?
It is traced to Arabic.

How to pronounce pherkad

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pherkad”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈfɜːrkæd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pherkad”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pherkad” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.