Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

unobtainium

/ˌʌn.əbˈteɪ.ni.əm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.39 in modern English

Syllables
un-ob-tain-i-um
IPA
/ˌʌn.əbˈteɪ.ni.əm/
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fictional material or component which, if it existed, would enable one to easily solve a hard problem.

Countable; Humorous; Uncountable

noun

An especially rare material or component that is outrageously expensive or otherwise almost impossible to get hold of.

Countable; Humorous; Uncountable

noun

A high technology component that is extremely expensive.

Countable; Humorous; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From unobtain(able) + -ium (suffix typical of names of atomic elements), modelled after uranium and titanium. Compare also the origin of dysprosium.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌʌn.əbˈteɪ.ni.əm/
  • British English: /(ˌ)ʌn.ɒbˈteɪ.nɪ.əm/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce unobtainium?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌʌn.əbˈteɪ.ni.əm/.
What does unobtainium mean?
A fictional material or component which, if it existed, would enable one to easily solve a hard problem.
Where does unobtainium come from?
From unobtain(able) + -ium (suffix typical of names of atomic elements), modelled after uranium and titanium. Compare also the origin of dysprosium.

How to pronounce unobtainium

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