Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sputnik

/ˈspʊtnɪk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.77 in modern English

Syllables
sput-nik
IPA
/ˈspʊtnɪk/
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of a series of Soviet robotic space satellites, especially the first one in 1957.

noun

The currency sign ¤.

Slang

noun

Alternative letter-case form of sputnik.

name

A village in Pechengsky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sm̥- Proto-Balto-Slavic *san? Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm? Proto-Slavic *sъ(n) Russian с- (s-) Proto-Indo-European *pent- Proto-Indo-European *póntoh₁s Proto-Balto-Slavic *pántis Proto-Slavic *pǫtь Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Balto-Slavic *-inas Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ Proto-Indo-European *-eykos Proto-Balto-Slavic *-eikas Proto-Slavic *-ikъ Proto-Slavic *-ьnikъ Proto-Slavic *pǫtьnikъ Russian пу́тник (pútnik) Russian спу́тник (spútnik)bor. English sputnik From Russian спу́тник (spútnik, “satellite”, literally “fellow traveller”), from с- (s-, “with, together”) + пу́тник (pútnik, “traveller”), from путь (putʹ, “way, journey”) + agent suffix -ник (-nik).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: спу́тник, Спутник V

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈspʊtnɪk/
  • British English: /ˈspʊtnɪk/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce sputnik?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈspʊtnɪk/.
What does sputnik mean?
Any of a series of Soviet robotic space satellites, especially the first one in 1957.
Where does sputnik come from?
It is traced to Russian.

How to pronounce sputnik

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