obsidian
/əbˈsɪd.i.ən/noun, adjective
obsidian is spelled O-B-S-I-D-I-A-N: 8 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, obsidian means “A type of naturally occurring black glass produced by volcanoes” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of obsidian is obsidians.
How many letters and syllables are in obsidian?
| Letters | 8: O-B-S-I-D-I-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,789th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is obsidian?
Obsidian appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th 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 obsidian?
- UK /ˌɒbˈsɪd.i.ən/
- US /əbˈsɪd.i.ən/
Obsidian has 4 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-obsidian.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with obsidian?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as obsidian from its last stressed vowel (/ɪdiən/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of obsidian
- obsidians plural
- more obsidian comparative
- most obsidian superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does obsidian mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A type of naturally occurring black glass produced by volcanoes.
- 2
A slightly bluish black, the color of obsidian glass.
adjective
- 1
Black.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Obsidian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | obsidienne |
| German | Obsidian, Glasachat |
| Portuguese | obsidiana |
| Spanish | obsidiana , obsidiano |
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 obsidian come from?
From Latin obsidianus; named after Obsidius, who was, according to Pliny, the Roman who discovered the stone in Aethiopia.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).