Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

refraction

/ɹəˈfɹækʃən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.77 in modern English

Syllables
re-frac-tion
IPA
/ɹəˈfɹækʃən/
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The turning or bending of any wave, such as a light or sound wave, when it passes from one medium into another of different optical density.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The degree to which a metal or compound can withstand heat

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Latin frangō Latin refringō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin refrāctiōbor. English refraction Borrowed from Latin refrāctiō.

Usage

Inflected Forms

refractions (plural)

Derived Forms

autorefraction nonrefraction overrefraction photorefraction refractionist

Phrases

angle of refraction astronomical refraction astronomic refraction atmospheric refraction double refraction index of refraction

Frequently Paired Words

refractive refractory

Synonyms

deflection deflexion

Rhymes With

action reaction interaction transaction satisfaction attraction fraction extraction faction distraction traction contraction

Questions

How do you pronounce refraction?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɹəˈfɹækʃən/.
What does refraction mean?
The turning or bending of any wave, such as a light or sound wave, when it passes from one medium into another of different optical density.
Where does refraction come from?
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Latin frangō Latin refringō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin refrāctiōbor. English refraction Borrowed from Latin refrāctiō.

How to pronounce refraction

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