selenite
/ˈsɛlɪnaɪt/noun
selenite is spelled S-E-L-E-N-I-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 103,949th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, selenite means “A soft, glassy form of gypsum (chemical formula CaSO₄·2H₂O)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of selenite is selenites.
How many letters and syllables are in selenite?
| Letters | 8: S-E-L-E-N-I-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 12 million words; the 103,949th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 selenite?
Selenite appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 103,949th 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 selenite?
- /ˈsɛlɪnaɪt/
Selenite 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-selenite.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with selenite?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as selenite.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: enlistee.
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 selenite
- selenites plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does selenite mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A soft, glassy form of gypsum (chemical formula CaSO₄·2H₂O).
- 2
The anion SeO₃²⁻ derived from selenous acid; any salt or ester of selenous acid.
noun
- 1
Synonym of Lunarian (“inhabitant of the Moon”).
adjective
- 1
Pertaining to the inhabitants of Luna (Lunarians/Selenites).
a Selenite colony
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Selenite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sélénite |
| German | Selenit, Marienglas, Frauenglas, Spiegelstein |
| Portuguese | selenita, selenite |
| Spanish | selenita , selenito |
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 selenite come from?
From Ancient Greek σελήνη (selḗnē, “moon”) + -ite; the chemistry sense comes via the name of the element selenium.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).