ðə ɡɹˈoʊθ ɹˈeɪt ɪz hˈaɪli vˈɛɹɪəbəl ɪnðə wˈaɪld: kˈɑːɾoʊ ænd hɚnˈændɛz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɛvən ɹᵻpˈoːɹɾᵻd dʒˈuːvənˌaɪl sˈɪlvɚtˌɪp ʃˈɑːɹks ɡɹˈoʊ ɐn ˈævɹɪdʒ ʌv , ɔːɹ fˈaɪv.θɹˈiː pɚsˈɛnt ʌv ðɛɹ bˈɑːdi lˈɛŋθ, pɜː jˈɪɹ, wɪð sˌʌm ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəlz ɡɹˈoʊɪŋ æz mˈʌtʃ æz , θˈɜːɾi.wˈʌn pɚsˈɛnt ʌv ðɛɹ bˈɑːdi lˈɛŋθ pɜː jˈɪɹ ænd ˈʌðɚz ʃˈoʊɪŋ nˈɛɡətˌɪv "ɡɹˈoʊθ".
The growth rate is highly variable in the wild: Kato and Hernandez (1967) reported juvenile silvertip sharks grow an average of , or 5.3% of their body length, per year, with some individuals growing as much as , 30.1% of their body length) per year and others showing negative "growth".