Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kangaroo paw

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.19 in modern English

Syllables: kan-ga-roo -paw
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various perennial flowering plants of the family Haemodoraceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

Example Sentences

"Spring flowers everywhere—freesias in throng, and startling growths of kangaroo paw with its dark red, vividly red stalks."

Etymology

Named for the shape of the unopened flower (lower left in picture), which resembles the paws of a kangaroo.

Inflected Forms

kangaroo paws (plural)

Synonyms

kangaroo's paw kangaroo's-foot kangaroo-foot plant australian sword lily anigozanthus manglesii

Questions

What does kangaroo paw mean?: Any of various perennial flowering plants of the family Haemodoraceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.
Where does kangaroo paw come from?: Named for the shape of the unopened flower (lower left in picture), which resembles the paws of a kangaroo.

How to pronounce kangaroo paw

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