Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tonstein

/ˈtʌnˌstaɪ̯n/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ton-stein
IPA: /ˈtʌnˌstaɪ̯n/

8

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A hard, compact, kaolinite-rich claystone formed by the diagenetic alteration of volcanic ash, usually occurring as thin, laterally persistent layers interbedded with coal seams.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Any indurated argillaceous rock that stands out within coal measures as a distinctive marker horizon.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Tonsteins, which are altered volcanic ash, mark instantaneous events over large areas and thus are excellent time markers for basin analysis."
"Because the zircons of the Upper Banner and Hitchins tonsteins (as well as other sampled Pennsylvanian tonsteins) lack radiogenic inheritance, the may derive from the magmatic arc of Sinha and Zietz, which was farther east and outboard of the North American continent at that time."
"In Figure 13, all data points of the tonstein samples fall within the CHARAC range."

Etymology

Borrowed from German Tonstein, from Ton (“clay”) + Stein (“stone”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈtʌnˌstaɪ̯n/
British English: /ˈtʌnˌstaɪ̯n/

Usage

Inflected Forms

tonsteins (plural)

Phrases

seat earth

Frequently Paired Words

bentonite claystone fireclay seat earth shale tuff

Rhymes With

stars align speyer line unsign unresign decombine unassign wondershine headsign

Questions

How do you pronounce tonstein?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtʌnˌstaɪ̯n/.
What does tonstein mean?: A hard, compact, kaolinite-rich claystone formed by the diagenetic alteration of volcanic ash, usually occurring as thin, laterally persistent layers interbedded with coal seams.
Where does tonstein come from?: Borrowed from German Tonstein, from Ton (“clay”) + Stein (“stone”).

How to pronounce tonstein

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtʌnˌstaɪ̯n/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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