Prefix · element · fire
Means "fire": pyrotechnics, pyromaniac, pyrolysis, pyroclastic, pyrometer.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Pyro- comes from Greek "pyr/pyros" (fire) and appears in both scientific and everyday vocabulary. Pyrotechnics = the craft of fire effects (fireworks); pyromaniac = someone obsessed with fire; pyrolysis = chemical decomposition by heat; pyroclastic = broken by volcanic fire. Spanish equivalent "piro-": pirotecnia, piromanía, pirólisis, piroclástico.
Pyro- connects science with spectacle: pyrotechnics creates fireworks and stage effects; pyrolysis is a key chemical reaction in industry (breaking down organic matter with heat); pyroclastic flows are the deadliest hazards from volcanoes; a pyromaniac has an uncontrollable urge to set fires. The prefix covers chemistry, geology, and psychology with the same root.
Combines with Greek and Latin roots in scientific and everyday contexts:
Pronunciation: /ˈpaɪ.roʊ/ — the y sounds like /aɪ/ as in "pie". Spanish equivalent "piro-": pirotecnia (pyrotechnics), piromanía (pyromania), pirólisis (pyrolysis), piroclástico (pyroclastic).
pyro-/ˈpaɪ.roʊ/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
In English, the letter y at the start of a Greek-origin root sounds /aɪ/ in words like pyro-, cycle, dynamic. "Pyrotechnics" = /ˌpaɪ.rəʊˈtek.nɪks/. Practice the vowel: pie → pyro → pyrotechnics.
A trick to remember it
Pyro- = fire. Spanish equivalent "piro-": pirotecnia (pyrotechnics), piromanía (pyromania), pirólisis (pyrolysis). The y is pronounced /aɪ/ like "pie".
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is a pyroclastic flow?
The prefix pyro- means "fire": pyrotechnics, pyromaniac, pyrolysis, pyroclastic, pyrometer. In Spanish it usually maps to piro-.
The prefix pyro- is pronounced /ˈpaɪ.roʊ/. For example, "pyrotechnics".
"technics" becomes "pyrotechnics". It is a typical example of the pyro- prefix.
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