Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tryptophan

/ˈtɹɪptə(ʊ)fæn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.59 in modern English

Syllables: tryp-to-phan
IPA: /ˈtɹɪptə(ʊ)fæn/

20

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An essential amino acid with an indole side chain; present in many foods, especially chocolate, oats, banana and milk; it is essential for normal growth and development and is the precursor of serotonin and niacin; any specific form of this compound, or any derivative of it.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"The quickest way to raise serotonin levels again is to send more tryptophan into the brain, because serotonin is made from tryptophan."
"Tryptophan is an amino acid found in many foods, including dairy and turkey, which is one of the reasons commonly given for why so many of us feel so sleepy after our Thanksgiving feasts."

Etymology

From German Tryptophan, from Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to appear”).

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: Tryptophan, φαίνω

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈtɹɪptə(ʊ)fæn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

tryptophans (plural)

Derived Forms

fluorotryptophan hydroxytryptophan methyltryptophan triptorelin tryptophanamide tryptophanase tryptophanate tryptophanyl tryptophanylation tryptophyl

Phrases

tryptophan synthase tryptophan synthetase

Frequently Paired Words

mul:W mul:Trp tryp

Synonyms

tryptophane

Questions

How do you pronounce tryptophan?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɹɪptə(ʊ)fæn/.
What does tryptophan mean?: An essential amino acid with an indole side chain; present in many foods, especially chocolate, oats, banana and milk; it is essential for normal growth and development and is the precursor of serotonin and niacin; any specific form of this compound, or any derivative of it.
Where does tryptophan come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce tryptophan

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tryptophan”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtɹɪptə(ʊ)fæn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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