Raman and infrared spectra of the uranyl mineral phurcalite, Ca 2 (UO 2 ) 3 O 2 (PO 4 ) 2 ⋅7H 2 O, from Red Canyon, Utah, USA, were studied and tentatively interpreted. Observed bands were assigned to the stretching and bending vibrations of (UO 2 ) 2+ and (PO 4 ) 3− units and to the stretching and bending vibrations and libration modes of water molecules. Approximate lengths of U–O in (UO 2 ) 2+ and O–H⋯O hydrogen bond lengths were inferred from observed stretching vibrations. The presence of structurally nonequivalent U 6+ and P 5+ was inferred from the number of corresponding stretching bands of (UO 2 ) 2+ and (PO 4 ) 3− units observed in the Raman and infrared spectra.