Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

zygote

/ˈzaɪˌɡoʊt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.35 in modern English

Syllables
zyg-ote
IPA
/ˈzaɪˌɡoʊt/
19
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A eukaryotic cell formed from the fusion of two gametes (“reproductive cells”) during a fertilization process.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ζῠγωτός (zŭgōtós, “yoked”) + English -ote (suffix meaning ‘having [the thing to which it is attached]’). Ζῠγωτός (Zŭgōtós) is derived from ζῠγόω (zŭgóō, “to join or yoke together”) + -τός (-tós, suffix forming adjectives of possibility); and ζῠγόω (zŭgóō) from ζῠγόν (zŭgón, “yoke for joining animals; anything which joins two things together”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg- (“to tie together, join, yoke”)) + -όω (-óō, suffix forming causative or factitive verbs). By surface analysis, zygo- + -ote.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈzaɪˌɡoʊt/
  • British English: /ˈzaɪɡəʊt/

Inflected Forms

zygotes (plural)

Derived Forms

hemizygote hypnozygote prezygote zygotal zygotelike zygotic zygotically zygotoblast zygotoid zygotomere

Frequently Paired Words

dizygotic monozygotic zygosity zygotene

Synonyms

fertilized ovum

Rhymes With

homozygote

Questions

How do you pronounce zygote?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈzaɪˌɡoʊt/.
What does zygote mean?
A eukaryotic cell formed from the fusion of two gametes (“reproductive cells”) during a fertilization process.
Where does zygote come from?
It is traced to Proto-Indo-European.

How to pronounce zygote

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