English pronunciation · Words Starting with P
Phi Pronunciation
Phi is pronounced FY, IPA /ˈfaɪ/.
FY
US /ˈfaɪ/ · UK /ˈfaɪ/
Syllables: FY (1 syllable)
noun: The twenty-first letter of the Greek alphabet, and the symbol for the golden ratio.
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Phi in a Sentence
- The ratio is written with the Greek letter phi.
- Phi appears in the proportions of the shell.
- He pledged a fraternity whose middle letter was phi.
Common Mispronunciations of Phi
Not FEE
English reads this letter as FY, rhyming with my, though modern Greek itself says something nearer fee.
Not FEE-hy
One beat is the whole of it, and the i carries the eye sound that chi, psi and pi also take in English.
Tip: In mathematics the golden ratio is read as FY in Britain and often as FEE in America.
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