Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

aphelion

/əˈfi.li.ən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.79 in modern English

Syllables: ap-hel-i-on
IPA: /əˈfi.li.ən/

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun.

Example Sentences

"[I]t follows from the theory of gravity, that the aphelia of Mercury, Venus, the Earth, and Mars, slightly progress."

Etymology

From New Latin aphēlium (whence English aphelium, now displaced) + -ion (used in the names of other apsides). Aphelium was formed from Ancient Greek ἀπο- (apo-, prefix meaning ‘away, from, off’) + ἥλῐος (hḗlĭos, “the sun”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ (“the sun”)), modelled after New Latin apogaeum (“apogee”). The plural form aphelia is from aphelion + -a (plural form of the suffix -on).

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: aphēlium, ἀπο-, *sóh₂wl̥

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /əˈfi.li.ən/
British English: /əˈfiː.lɪ.ən/

Inflected Forms

aphelia (plural) aphelions (plural, proscribed)

Frequently Paired Words

parhelion apoapsis

Homonyms

Ophelian (one pronunciation)

Antonyms

perihelion

Rhymes With

abelian perihelion parhelion anthelion mycelian paranthelion

Questions

How do you pronounce aphelion?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˈfi.li.ən/.
What does aphelion mean?: The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun.
Where does aphelion come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce aphelion

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