Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

oxy-

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.83 in modern English

Syllables: oxy-
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

prefix

Sharp, keen, acute, pungent, acid

prefix

Concerning oxygen

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-der.? Ancient Greek ὀξῠ́ς (oxŭ́s)bor. English oxy- Borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀξῠ́ς (oxŭ́s, “sharp”).

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: oxygène, ὀξύς

Derived Forms

oxyrhynch carboxyl epoxy hydroxyl oxazine oximeter oxy oxyacetyl oxyacetylene oxyacid oxyalcohol oxyaldehyde

Phrases

carboxy- hydroxy- oxyacetic acid oxyamygdalic acid oxy-arc oxyaromatic acid oxybenzoic acid oxybutyric acid

Frequently Paired Words

oxymel oxymoron oxychromatin oxygen oxysanguinarine oxytocic oxytocin

Questions

What does oxy- mean?: Sharp, keen, acute, pungent, acid
Where does oxy- come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce oxy-

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