Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

micro-

/ˈmaɪ.kɹə-/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.08 in modern English

Syllables: mi-cro-
IPA: /ˈmaɪ.kɹə-/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

prefix

Very small.

prefix

prefix

Pertaining to an aspect of micronationalism; micronational.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: (prefixes) mini-, nano- (loose sense); (suffixes) -cule, -ee, -el, -et, -ette, -icle, -ie, -kin, -le, -let, -ling, -ole, -ule, -y"
"micro- + organism → microorganism"
"Gen Z is using micro-retirement to avoid burnout, find greater fulfillment in their work, and enhance their overall well-being. However, it’s not just Gen-Z: According to a survey from Side Hustles, 10% of workers are considering taking a micro-retirement and 75% thought employers should offer micro-retirement policies such as unpaid sabbaticals."
"micro- + gram → microgram"
"micro- + wiki → MicroWiki"

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós) Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-)lbor. English micro- Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-), from μῑκρός (mīkrós, “small”). By surface analysis, micr- + -o-.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmaɪ.kɹə-/
British English: /ˈmaɪ.kɹə-/

Derived Forms

microinverse microlateral micronormal

Synonyms

mini- nano-[Appendix:Glossary -cule -ee -el -et -ette -icle -ie -kin -le -let

Antonyms

super- supra- hyper- ultra- uber- macro- arch- over- mega- giga- -zilla grand

Questions

How do you pronounce micro-?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmaɪ.kɹə-/.
What does micro- mean?: Very small.
Where does micro- come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós) Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-)lbor. English micro- Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-), from μῑκρός (mīkrós, “small”). By surface analysis, micr- + -o-.

How to pronounce micro-

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