diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 36dbc967d2..298dfa4eea 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ docs/_build/
 docs/build/
 build/
 
+# Generated by docs/sphinxext/generate_symbol_reference.py on every doc build
+docs/source/api/parameters/symbol_reference.rst
+
 # inputs except parameters and comsol data needed for scripts and notebooks
 input/*
 !input/parameters
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index c2d546d449..979522178d 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     # Local and custom extensions
     "extend_parent",
     "inheritance_diagram",
+    "generate_symbol_reference",
     # Third-party extensions
     "sphinx_design",
     "sphinx_copybutton",
diff --git a/docs/source/api/parameters/index.rst b/docs/source/api/parameters/index.rst
index 40276656fe..91715a3381 100644
--- a/docs/source/api/parameters/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/api/parameters/index.rst
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ Parameters
   lead_acid_parameters
   parameter_sets
   process_parameter_data
+  symbol_reference
diff --git a/docs/sphinxext/generate_symbol_reference.py b/docs/sphinxext/generate_symbol_reference.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9a571224e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/sphinxext/generate_symbol_reference.py
@@ -0,0 +1,332 @@
+"""Sphinx extension: regenerate the parameter symbol-reference page on build.
+
+For every parameter class in :mod:`pybamm.parameters` this walks the live
+object graph and writes ``docs/source/api/parameters/symbol_reference.rst``,
+which maps each Python-side shorthand (e.g. ``param.kappa_e``) to the
+underlying string used in :class:`pybamm.ParameterValues`
+(e.g. ``"Electrolyte conductivity [S.m-1]"``).
+
+The output file is gitignored — it is rebuilt from the current source on
+every Sphinx run, so adding a new shorthand to ``src/pybamm/parameters/``
+automatically updates the reference page.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import inspect
+import re
+from collections.abc import Iterable
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pybamm
+from pybamm.parameters.base_parameters import BaseParameters
+
+_FLOAT_RE = re.compile(r"\d+\.\d+(?:[eE][+-]?\d+)?")
+
+
+def _prettify_floats(text: str) -> str:
+    """Rewrite float literals that are exact reciprocals of small integers
+    (e.g. ``0.0002777777777777778`` → ``(1/3600)``).
+
+    PyBaMM simplifies expressions like ``F / 3600`` into ``0.000277… * F`` at
+    construction time, which is ugly in docs. Most of the offenders are
+    unit-conversion factors (``1/60``, ``1/3600``, ``1/86400``), which are
+    well-handled by this pass.
+    """
+
+    def _sub(match: re.Match[str]) -> str:
+        try:
+            f = float(match.group(0))
+        except ValueError:
+            return match.group(0)
+        if not (0 < f < 1):
+            return match.group(0)
+        n = round(1 / f)
+        if n > 1 and abs(1 / n - f) / f < 1e-12:
+            return f"(1/{n})"
+        return match.group(0)
+
+    return _FLOAT_RE.sub(_sub, text)
+
+
+# Roots to introspect. Each entry is (label, root, factory) where ``factory``
+# returns a freshly constructed instance and ``root`` is the suggested
+# variable name users would bind it to.
+ROOTS: list[tuple[str, str, callable]] = [
+    ("LithiumIonParameters", "param", lambda: pybamm.LithiumIonParameters()),
+    ("LeadAcidParameters", "param", lambda: pybamm.LeadAcidParameters()),
+    ("GeometricParameters", "geo", lambda: pybamm.GeometricParameters()),
+    ("ElectricalParameters", "elec", lambda: pybamm.electrical_parameters),
+    ("ThermalParameters", "therm", lambda: pybamm.thermal_parameters),
+    ("EcmParameters", "param", lambda: pybamm.EcmParameters()),
+]
+
+# Wiring/back-references that don't carry useful info for end users.
+SKIP_ATTRS = {
+    "options",
+    "_options",
+    "main_param",
+    "domain_params",
+    "phase_params",
+    "domain",
+    "_domain",
+    "_Domain",
+    "domain_Domain",
+    "phase",
+    "phase_name",
+    "phase_prefactor",
+    "geo",
+    "therm",
+    "elec",
+}
+
+
+def _call_method(method):
+    """Call ``method`` with placeholder arguments to discover what it returns.
+
+    First tries ``pybamm.Variable(arg_name)`` for every positional parameter
+    (works for almost everything, since methods on parameter classes accept
+    pybamm expressions). If that fails — e.g. the method indexes by an integer
+    or treats an arg as a string — retries with each argument's default value
+    where available, or ``0`` for the rest.
+    """
+    try:
+        sig = inspect.signature(method)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return None
+    params = [(n, p) for n, p in sig.parameters.items() if n != "self"]
+
+    def _try(args):
+        try:
+            return method(*args)
+        except Exception:
+            return None
+
+    result = _try([pybamm.Variable(n) for n, _ in params])
+    if result is not None:
+        return result
+    fallback = [
+        p.default if p.default is not inspect.Parameter.empty else 0 for _, p in params
+    ]
+    return _try(fallback)
+
+
+def _classify(expr):
+    """Return ``(kind, detail)`` for a pybamm expression discovered on a
+    parameter class.
+
+    - ``("Parameter", name)`` for a bare :class:`pybamm.Parameter`.
+    - ``("FunctionParameter", name)`` for a bare :class:`pybamm.FunctionParameter`.
+    - ``("derived", str(expr))`` for any composite expression.
+    - ``None`` if it's a non-Symbol or carries no parameters worth listing.
+    """
+    if isinstance(expr, pybamm.FunctionParameter):
+        return ("FunctionParameter", expr.name)
+    if isinstance(expr, pybamm.Parameter):
+        return ("Parameter", expr.name)
+    if not isinstance(expr, pybamm.Symbol):
+        return None
+    # Composite expression — only worth showing if it actually contains a
+    # parameter somewhere in the tree (otherwise it's a numerical constant).
+    has_param = any(
+        isinstance(sub, (pybamm.Parameter, pybamm.FunctionParameter))
+        for sub in expr.pre_order()
+    )
+    if not has_param:
+        return None
+    return ("derived", _prettify_floats(str(expr)))
+
+
+def _walk(obj, path, results, seen):
+    if id(obj) in seen:
+        return
+    seen.add(id(obj))
+
+    for name in sorted(dir(obj)):
+        if name.startswith("_") or name in SKIP_ATTRS:
+            continue
+        cls_attr = inspect.getattr_static(type(obj), name, None)
+        if isinstance(cls_attr, (classmethod, staticmethod)):
+            continue
+        try:
+            v = getattr(obj, name)
+        except Exception:
+            continue
+        full = f"{path}.{name}"
+
+        if isinstance(v, BaseParameters):
+            _walk(v, full, results, seen)
+            continue
+
+        if isinstance(v, pybamm.Symbol):
+            classified = _classify(v)
+            if classified is not None:
+                kind, detail = classified
+                results.append((path, full, kind, detail))
+            continue
+
+        if inspect.ismethod(v) or (callable(v) and not inspect.isclass(v)):
+            result = _call_method(v)
+            if result is None:
+                continue
+            classified = _classify(result)
+            if classified is None:
+                continue
+            try:
+                sig = inspect.signature(v)
+                arg_names = [n for n in sig.parameters if n != "self"]
+                call = f"{full}({', '.join(arg_names)})"
+            except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                call = f"{full}(...)"
+            kind, detail = classified
+            results.append((path, call, kind, detail))
+
+
+def _emit_table(rows: Iterable[tuple[str, str, str]]) -> str:
+    out = [
+        ".. list-table::",
+        "   :header-rows: 1",
+        "   :widths: 30 20 50",
+        "",
+        "   * - Shorthand",
+        "     - Kind",
+        "     - Parameter string / expression",
+    ]
+    for shorthand, kind, detail in rows:
+        out.append(f"   * - ``{shorthand}``")
+        out.append(f"     - {kind}")
+        # Wrap the detail in inline code so the parameter strings (which
+        # contain spaces, brackets and units) render cleanly. Replace any
+        # backticks in the expression to avoid breaking inline-code parsing.
+        safe = detail.replace("``", "'")
+        out.append(f"     - ``{safe}``")
+    out.append("")
+    return "\n".join(out)
+
+
+def _render_class(label: str, root: str, results) -> str:
+    # Bucket rows by their group (the access path of the closest enclosing
+    # container) and dedupe.
+    grouped: dict[str, list[tuple[str, str, str]]] = {}
+    for group, shorthand, kind, detail in results:
+        rows = grouped.setdefault(group, [])
+        row = (shorthand, kind, detail)
+        if row not in rows:
+            rows.append(row)
+    for g in grouped:
+        grouped[g] = sorted(grouped[g], key=lambda r: r[0])
+
+    out: list[str] = []
+    out.append(label)
+    out.append("-" * len(label))
+    out.append("")
+    out.append(
+        f"Instantiate as ``{root} = pybamm.{label}()``. "
+        f"The tables below list each Python-side shorthand and the "
+        f"underlying string used in :class:`pybamm.ParameterValues`."
+    )
+    out.append("")
+
+    if root in grouped:
+        out.append(f"Top-level — ``{root}.<name>``")
+        out.append("^" * 60)
+        out.append("")
+        out.append(_emit_table(grouped[root]))
+
+    for group in sorted(g for g in grouped if g != root):
+        out.append(f"``{group}``")
+        out.append("^" * 60)
+        out.append("")
+        out.append(_emit_table(grouped[group]))
+
+    return "\n".join(out)
+
+
+def _build_page() -> str:
+    parts: list[str] = []
+    parts.append(".. This file is generated by")
+    parts.append(
+        ".. docs/sphinxext/generate_symbol_reference.py — do not edit by hand."
+    )
+    parts.append("")
+    parts.append("Symbol reference")
+    parts.append("================")
+    parts.append("")
+    parts.append(
+        "This page maps each Python-side parameter shorthand (e.g. "
+        "``param.kappa_e``) onto the string used in "
+        ":class:`pybamm.ParameterValues` and in parameter-set files "
+        '(e.g. ``"Electrolyte conductivity [S.m-1]"``).'
+    )
+    parts.append("")
+    parts.append(
+        "``Kind`` is ``Parameter`` for scalars set directly via the parameter "
+        "values dictionary, ``FunctionParameter`` for entries that may be set "
+        "to a Python callable (e.g. a function of concentration and "
+        "temperature), and ``derived`` for shorthands defined as expressions "
+        "over other parameters — the third column then shows the full "
+        "expression."
+    )
+    parts.append("")
+    parts.append("Domain and phase sub-objects")
+    parts.append("----------------------------")
+    parts.append("")
+    parts.append(
+        "Each electrochemical parameter class exposes domain sub-objects "
+        "``.n`` (negative electrode), ``.s`` (separator) and ``.p`` "
+        "(positive electrode). The electrode domains additionally carry "
+        "particle-phase sub-objects ``.prim`` (primary phase) and ``.sec`` "
+        "(secondary phase). So ``param.n.prim.D(c_s, T)`` is the primary-"
+        "phase particle diffusivity in the negative electrode, and "
+        "``param.p.sec.U(sto, T)`` is the secondary-phase open-circuit "
+        "potential in the positive electrode."
+    )
+    parts.append("")
+    parts.append(
+        "The underlying parameter string depends on the model options. For "
+        'the **default single-phase** electrode (``"particle phases": '
+        '"1"``), the ``Primary:`` / ``Secondary:`` prefix is dropped — so '
+        "``param.n.prim.D(c_s, T)`` is the string "
+        '``"Negative particle diffusivity [m2.s-1]"``. For a **composite '
+        'electrode** (``"particle phases": "2"``), the same shorthand '
+        'becomes ``"Primary: Negative particle diffusivity [m2.s-1]"`` and '
+        "``param.n.sec.D(c_s, T)`` becomes "
+        '``"Secondary: Negative particle diffusivity [m2.s-1]"``. The tables '
+        "below are generated with default options, so they show the "
+        "unprefixed strings; mentally prepend ``Primary:`` / ``Secondary:`` "
+        "when working with a composite electrode."
+    )
+    parts.append("")
+
+    for label, root, factory in ROOTS:
+        try:
+            instance = factory()
+        except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - reported in build log
+            parts.append(f".. note:: Skipped ``{label}``: {exc}")
+            parts.append("")
+            continue
+        results: list[tuple[str, str, str, str]] = []
+        _walk(instance, root, results, set())
+        parts.append(_render_class(label, root, results))
+        parts.append("")
+
+    return "\n".join(parts) + "\n"
+
+
+def _output_path(app) -> Path:
+    return Path(app.srcdir) / "api" / "parameters" / "symbol_reference.rst"
+
+
+def _on_builder_inited(app) -> None:
+    out_path = _output_path(app)
+    out_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    out_path.write_text(_build_page())
+
+
+def setup(app):
+    app.connect("builder-inited", _on_builder_inited)
+    return {
+        "version": "1.0",
+        "parallel_read_safe": True,
+        "parallel_write_safe": True,
+    }