Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

terraform

/ˈtɛɹəfɔː(ɹ)m/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.99 in modern English

Syllables: ter-raform
IPA: /ˈtɛɹəfɔː(ɹ)m/

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To transform the atmosphere (or biosphere) of another planet into one having the characteristics of Earth.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"He had been the original claimant of Obania, forty years ago; and Drake was the young spatial engineer he employed to terraform the little rock, only two kilometers through—by sinking a shaft to its heart for the paragravity installation, generating oxygen and water from mineral oxides, releasing absorptive gases to trap the feeble heat of the far-off Sun."

Etymology

From Terra (“planet Earth”) + -form (“having the form of”). Coined by American science fiction author Jack Williamson in 1942 as part of his novella Collision Orbit.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: Terra

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

terraforms (present, singular) terraforming (participle, present) terraformed (participle, past) terraformed (past)

Derived Forms

paraterraform terraformable terraformer

Synonyms

Earthscape

Questions

How do you pronounce terraform?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹəfɔː(ɹ)m/.
What does terraform mean?: To transform the atmosphere (or biosphere) of another planet into one having the characteristics of Earth.
Where does terraform come from?: From Terra (“planet Earth”) + -form (“having the form of”). Coined by American science fiction author Jack Williamson in 1942 as part of his novella Collision Orbit.

How to pronounce terraform

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