hypophysis

/haɪˈpɒfɪsɪs/

//haɪˈpɒfɪsɪs// noun

"hypophysis" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hypophysis” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The pituitary gland.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hypophysis · hypophysis · English

hypophysis · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for hypophysis
PropertyValue
Headwordhypophysis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/haɪˈpɒfɪsɪs/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hypophysis” in English

hypophysisfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hypophysis is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /haɪˈpɒfɪsɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for hypophysis in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”) + φύσις (phúsis, “nature”), from φύω (phúō, “to bring forth”). The correct English form is hypophysis, spelled H-Y-P-O-P-H-Y-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The pituitary gland.
  2. 2
    The top cell of the suspensor in a dicot embryo, which will differentiate to form part of the root cap.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hypophysis appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. CHAPTER VI / THE DISEASES OF THE HYPOPHYSIS [PITUITARY GLAND]
  2. All the cells of the suspensor, except one, are eventually crushed and obliterated by the growing embryo; this fortunate cell known as the hypophysis is the one in immediate contact with the embryo and plays an important role in the formation of the root apex.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”) + φύσις (phúsis, “nature”), from φύω (phúō, “to bring forth”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hypophysis"?
"hypophysis" is spelled H-Y-P-O-P-H-Y-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /haɪˈpɒfɪsɪs/.
What does "hypophysis" mean?
As a noun, "hypophysis" means: The pituitary gland.
How do you pronounce "hypophysis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hypophysis" is /haɪˈpɒfɪsɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hypophysis"?
From Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”) + φύσις (phúsis, “nature”), from φύω (phúō, “to bring forth”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list