pharmacy
/ˈfɑɹməsi/noun
pharmacy is spelled P-H-A-R-M-A-C-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pharmacy means “A place where prescription drugs are sold or dispensed” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pharmacy is pharmacies.
How many letters and syllables are in pharmacy?
| Letters | 8: P-H-A-R-M-A-C-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.4 times per million words; the 8,669th 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 pharmacy?
Pharmacy appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th 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 pharmacy?
- UK /ˈfɑːməsi/
- US /ˈfɑɹməsi/
Pharmacy has 3 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: En-uk-pharmacy.ogg, En-us-pharmacy.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pharmacy
- pharmacies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pharmacy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A place where prescription drugs are sold or dispensed.
- 2
The science of medicinal substances, inclusive of pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, phytochemistry, and forensics.
- 3
The role or occupation of a pharmacist.
- 4
A collection, group or set of drugs or similar products; a set of drugs taken.
In that neighborhood, you could find a dealer for any drug, a whole pharmacy of chemical distractions.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pharmacy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pharmacie, officine |
| German | Apotheke, Drogerie , Pharmazie |
| Portuguese | farmácia, drogaria |
| Spanish | farmacia, botica |
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 pharmacy come from?
From Middle English pharmacy, borrowed from Middle French pharmacie (“the art of creating drugs; a drug, especially a laxative”), from Old French farmacie, from Medieval Latin pharmacia, from Ancient Greek φαρμακεία (pharmakeía, “the use of drugs”), from φάρμακον (phármakon, “a drug, charm, enchantment”), of uncertain but likely Pre-Greek origin. Attested since late 14th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).