Pronunciation

How to pronounce “aesthetic

“aesthetic” is pronounced /ɛsˈθɛtɪk/ (es-THE-tik) in American English and /iːsθɛtɪk/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “het”.
The sound

Say “aesthetic” in 3 beats

Say it like this

aesthetic

/ɛsˈθɛtɪk/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /iːsθɛtɪk/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. aestɛs
  2. hetθɛstress
  3. ictɪk
IPA (American)
/ɛsˈθɛtɪk/
IPA (British)
/iːsθɛtɪk/
Respelling
es-THE-tik
Syllables
3 — aest-HET-ic
Stress
Stress the second syllable: aest-HET-ic. “het” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ɛsˈθɛtɪk/

British

/iːsθɛtɪk/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “aesthetic” means

  1. noun

    (philosophy) a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful

    he despised the esthetic of minimalism

  2. adjective

    relating to or dealing with the subject of aesthetics

    aesthetic values

  3. adjective

    concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

    the aesthetic faculties

Say it in a sentence

The whole building follows a plain, almost severe aesthetic.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

aesthetic”, answered

How do you pronounce “aesthetic”?

“aesthetic” is pronounced /ɛsˈθɛtɪk/ (es-THE-tik) in American English and /iːsθɛtɪk/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “het”. Build it as aest-HET-ic, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “aesthetic” have?

3: aest · het · ic. The beat lands on the second, “het”.

Is “aesthetic” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ɛsˈθɛtɪk/ (es-THE-tik); British English says /iːsθɛtɪk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “aesthetic” mean?

As a noun: (philosophy) a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful For example: “he despised the esthetic of minimalism” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “aesthetic”?

Stress the second syllable: aest-HET-ic. “het” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “aesthetic” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.