Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

radioactivity

/ˌreɪdɪəʊakˈtɪvɪti/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.91 in modern English

Syllables: ra-dioac-tiv-i-ty
IPA: /ˌreɪdɪəʊakˈtɪvɪti/

22

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

7

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation as a consequence of a nuclear reaction, or directly from the breakdown of an unstable nucleus.

Uncountable

noun

The radiation so emitted; including gamma rays, alpha particles, neutrons, electrons, positrons, etc.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Today, no one would intentionally smear radioactive materials on their face, but in 1933, the dangers of radioactivity were not yet fully understood."

Etymology

From radioactive + -ity or radio- + activity.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: radioactive

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

radioactivities (plural) radio-activity (alternative)

Derived Forms

nonradioactivity

Phrases

nuclear radiation radiation poisoning radio- radioactive decay half-life

Frequently Paired Words

activity nuclear radiation radiation radiation poisoning radio- radioactive decay becquerel curie

Synonyms

radiation

Questions

How do you pronounce radioactivity?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌreɪdɪəʊakˈtɪvɪti/.
What does radioactivity mean?: Spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation as a consequence of a nuclear reaction, or directly from the breakdown of an unstable nucleus.
Where does radioactivity come from?: From radioactive + -ity or radio- + activity.

How to pronounce radioactivity

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