Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

opalescent

/oʊpəˈlɛsənt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.98 in modern English

Syllables
opales-cent
IPA
/oʊpəˈlɛsənt/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From opal + -escent, after opalescence or French opalescent. First attested in 1814.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

more opalescent (comparative) most opalescent (superlative)

Derived Forms

nonopalescent opalescently semiopalescent

Phrases

opalescent nudibranch

Synonyms

iridescent nacreous opaline pearlescent

Rhymes With

crescent fluorescent incessant incandescent antidepressant iridescent pubescent convalescent depressant effervescent luminescent quiescent

Questions

How do you pronounce opalescent?
The recorded pronunciation is /oʊpəˈlɛsənt/.
What does opalescent mean?
Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.
Where does opalescent come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce opalescent

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