Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pahoehoe

/pəˈhoʊ.i.hoʊ.i/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.13 in modern English

Syllables: pa-hoe-hoe
IPA: /pəˈhoʊ.i.hoʊ.i/

16

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A form of lava flow of basaltic rock, usually dark-colored with a smooth or ropey surface. It is one of two chief forms of lava flow emitted from volcanoes of the Hawaiian type, the other form being aa.

Example Sentences

"We [...] saw ‘pahoihoi’ or solid lava forming, and also ‘aa’ or clinkers."
"The twisty, ropy kind that personifies flow – all congealed motion – is called pahoehoe."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian pāhoehoe.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pəˈhoʊ.i.hoʊ.i/
British English: /pəˈhəʊihəʊi/

Inflected Forms

pahoehoes (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

aa

Questions

How do you pronounce pahoehoe?: The recorded pronunciation is /pəˈhoʊ.i.hoʊ.i/.
What does pahoehoe mean?: A form of lava flow of basaltic rock, usually dark-colored with a smooth or ropey surface. It is one of two chief forms of lava flow emitted from volcanoes of the Hawaiian type, the other form being aa.
Where does pahoehoe come from?: Borrowed from Hawaiian pāhoehoe.

How to pronounce pahoehoe

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