Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

candiru

/ˌkændɪˈɹuː/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.25 in modern English

Syllables: can-diru
IPA: /ˌkændɪˈɹuː/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small parasitic catfish, Vandellia cirrhosa, native to the Amazon river, rumored to swim up male urethras.

Etymology

Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese candiru, from Nheengatu kandirú.

Word Breakdown

Root: kandirú

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˌkændɪˈɹuː/

Inflected Forms

candirus (plural) candirú (alternative)

Synonyms

canero cañero toothpick fish vampire fish

Questions

How do you pronounce candiru?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌkændɪˈɹuː/.
What does candiru mean?: A small parasitic catfish, Vandellia cirrhosa, native to the Amazon river, rumored to swim up male urethras.
Where does candiru come from?: Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese candiru, from Nheengatu kandirú.

How to pronounce candiru

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