HOW TO PRONOUNCE
phosphorus
/ˈfɑsfɚəs/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:39
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Both written ph groups sound like f.
The first syllable carries the main stress. Let the middle have an r-colored vowel, and keep the final vowel relaxed before the last s sound.
3 syllables · Stress on syllable 1
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“The soil test measured phosphorus levels.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗What does phosphorus mean?
noun
- A chemical element (symbol P) with an atomic number of 15, that exists in several allotropic forms.
- An atom of this element.
proper noun
- A name sometimes used for Hesperus, the personification in Greek mythology of the planet Venus.
More meanings (2)
proper noun
- An Ancient Greek name for the morning star (the planet Venus when it is visible in the eastern sky before sunrise).
noun
- (obsolete) Any substance exhibiting phosphorescence; a phosphor.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈfɑsfɚəs/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
The vessel drove before her bows two billows of liquid phosphorus, and in her wake she was followed by a milky train.
One day, through an extra jolt of the car, a bottle of phosphorus broke on the floor, and the car took fire.
More book examples (2)
Among these, not considering oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, there are the salts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, sulphur and phosphorus.
Australian soil is deficient in phosphorus, which shows it is foreign and represents the small body which did not entirely bury itself.