Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

phytoplankton

/ˌfaɪ.təˈplæŋk.tən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables
phy-to-plank-ton
IPA
/ˌfaɪ.təˈplæŋk.tən/
27
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Plankton, especially those small in size, that obtain energy by photosynthesis.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

From phyto- + plankton. From Ancient Greek φυτόν (phutón, “plant”) + πλαγκτόν (planktón), neuter of πλαγκτός (planktós, “wandering”). However, they are no longer classified as plants, so the terminology is showing a historical meaning.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌfaɪ.təˈplæŋk.tən/
  • British English: /ˌfaɪ.təˈplæŋk.tən/

Usage

Inflected Forms

phytoplanktons (plural)

Derived Forms

macrophytoplankton microphytoplankton nanophytoplankton phytoplanktonic picophytoplankton ultraphytoplankton

Phrases

phytoplankton bloom

Frequently Paired Words

zooplankton

Synonyms

microalga

Rhymes With

langton

Questions

How do you pronounce phytoplankton?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌfaɪ.təˈplæŋk.tən/.
What does phytoplankton mean?
Plankton, especially those small in size, that obtain energy by photosynthesis.
Where does phytoplankton come from?
It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce phytoplankton

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