What does "phonon" mean?

The quantum of acoustic or vibrational energy (sound), considered a discrete particle rather than a wave.

What is a synonym for "phonon"?

Common synonyms include: lexon, morphon, photon, plasmon, semon.

//ˈfoʊ.nɑn// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The quantum of acoustic or vibrational energy (sound), considered a discrete particle rather than a wave.
2
A unit of phonemics.

Etymology 1

From phono- + -on. From Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”). Modelled after photon.

Etymology 2

From phono- + -on. From Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.