Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

phosphorus

/ˈfɑs.fɚ.əs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.25 in modern English

Syllables
phos-pho-rus
IPA
/ˈfɑs.fɚ.əs/
20
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A chemical element (symbol P) with an atomic number of 15, that exists in several allotropic forms.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A chemical element (symbol P) with an atomic number of 15, that exists in several allotropic forms.

Countable

noun

Any substance exhibiting phosphorescence; a phosphor.

Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable

name

A name sometimes used for Hesperus, the personification in Greek mythology of the planet Venus.

name

An Ancient Greek name for the morning star (the planet Venus when it is visible in the eastern sky before sunrise).

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂os Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos Ancient Greek φᾰ́ος (phắos) Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs) Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Hellenic *pʰérō Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros) Ancient Greek φωσφόρος (phōsphóros)bor. Latin phōsphorusbor. English phosphorus Borrowed from Latin phōsphorus, from Ancient Greek φωσφόρος (phōsphóros, “the bearer of light”), from φῶς (phôs, “light”) + φέρω (phérō, “to bear, carry”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: phōsphorus, φωσφόρος

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfɑs.fɚ.əs/
  • British English: /ˈfɒs.fə.ɹəs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

phosphoruses (plural) phosphori (plural) Phosphor (alternative)

Derived Forms

althupite cuprophosphorus decaphosphorus diphosphorus ferrophosphorus foss phos phoss fossy phossy heptaphosphorus hexaphosphorus

Phrases

Baldwin's phosphorus black phosphorus Bolognian phosphorus Bologna phosphorus Bononian phosphorus Canton's phosphorus Hittorf's phosphorus Homberg's phosphorus

Frequently Paired Words

phosphate phosphatization phosphatized phosphatizing phosphide phosphine phosphite phosphor

Synonyms

Hesperus morning star Eosphorus Lucifer evening star evenstar Vesper Venus

Homonyms

phosphorous Phosphorus

Rhymes With

phosphorous

Questions

How do you pronounce phosphorus?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɑs.fɚ.əs/.
What does phosphorus mean?
A chemical element (symbol P) with an atomic number of 15, that exists in several allotropic forms.
Where does phosphorus come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce phosphorus

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