calyx
/ˈkæ.lɪks/noun
calyx is spelled C-A-L-Y-X: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,108th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, calyx means “The outermost whorl of flower parts, comprising the sepals, which covers and protects the petals as they develop” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of calyx is calyces or calyxes.
How many letters and syllables are in calyx?
| Letters | 5: C-A-L-Y-X |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 56,108th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is calyx?
Calyx appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,108th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce calyx?
- /ˈkæ.lɪks/
- /ˈkeɪ.lɪks/
Calyx has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-calyx.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of calyx
- calyces plural
- calyxes plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does calyx mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The outermost whorl of flower parts, comprising the sepals, which covers and protects the petals as they develop.
- 2
A chamber in the mammalian kidney through which urine passes.
- 3
The crown containing the viscera of crinoids and similar echinoderms, entoprocts, and the polyps of some cnidarians.
- 4
A funnel-shaped expansion of the vas deferens or oviduct of insects.
- 5
A flattened cap of neuropil in the brain of insects.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Calyx in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense the sepals of a flower:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does calyx come from?
From Latin calyx, from Ancient Greek κάλυξ (kálux, “case of a bud, husk”). Doublet of chalice and kelch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).