Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ptarmigan

/ˈtɑːmɪɡən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.05 in modern English

Syllables
ptarmi-gan
IPA
/ˈtɑːmɪɡən/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of three species of small grouse in the genus Lagopus found in subarctic tundra areas of North America and Eurasia.

Etymology

From Scottish Gaelic tarmachan, of unknown origin. The pt- comes from a mistaken belief in a Greek origin, as if related to ptero- (“wing”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /ˈtɑːmɪɡən/

Inflected Forms

ptarmigans (plural)

Phrases

rock ptarmigan Lagopus muta white-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus

Synonyms

lagopus rype

Questions

How do you pronounce ptarmigan?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɑːmɪɡən/.
What does ptarmigan mean?
Any of three species of small grouse in the genus Lagopus found in subarctic tundra areas of North America and Eurasia.
Where does ptarmigan come from?
It is traced to Scottish Gaelic.

How to pronounce ptarmigan

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