phenolphthalein
/ˌfi.nl̩ˈθæl.i.ɪn/noun
phenolphthalein is spelled P-H-E-N-O-L-P-H-T-H-A-L-E-I-N: 15 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 28 million words in written English, the 159,707th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, phenolphthalein means “A white or yellowish-white crystalline compound C₂₀H₁₄O₄ used in medicine as a laxative and in analysis as an indicator because its solution is…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of phenolphthalein is phenolphthaleins.
How many letters and syllables are in phenolphthalein?
| Letters | 15: P-H-E-N-O-L-P-H-T-H-A-L-E-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 28 million words; the 159,707th 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 phenolphthalein?
Phenolphthalein appears about once in every 28 million words in written English, the 159,707th 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 phenolphthalein?
- UK /ˌfiː.nɒlˈ(f)θa.liːn/
- UK /ˌfiː.nɒlˈ(f)θeɪ.liːn/
- US /ˌfi.nl̩ˈθæl.i.ɪn/
Phenolphthalein 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-phenolphthalein.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of phenolphthalein
- phenolphthaleins plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does phenolphthalein mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A white or yellowish-white crystalline compound C₂₀H₁₄O₄ used in medicine as a laxative and in analysis as an indicator because its solution is brilliant red in alkalies and is decolorized by acids.
After transfering the acid to a 150-mL Erlenmeyer flask, add 60 mL of deionized water and 2 drops of phenolphthalein.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Phenolphthalein in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense Translations:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | phénolphtaléine |
| German | Phenolphthalein |
| Portuguese | fenolftaleína |
| Spanish | fenolftaleína |
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 phenolphthalein come from?
From phenol + phthalein.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).