Pronunciation

How to pronounce “arcane

“arcane” is pronounced /ˌɑɹˈkeɪn/ (ahr-KAYN) in American English and /ɑːkeɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “keɪn”.
The sound

Say “arcane” in 2 beats

Say it like this

arcane

/ˌɑɹˈkeɪn/

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

2 beats
  1. ɑɹɑɹ
  2. keɪnkeɪnstress
IPA (American)
/ˌɑɹˈkeɪn/
IPA (British)
/ɑːkeɪn/
Respelling
ahr-KAYN
Syllables
2 — ɑɹ-KEꞮN
Stress
Stress the second syllable: ɑɹ-KEꞮN. “keɪn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Legend — spelling and sound part company here
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɑɹˈkeɪn/

British

/ɑːkeɪn/

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

Meaning

What “arcane” means

  1. adjective

    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

    the arcane science of dowsing

Say it in a sentence

The rules of the competition are arcane and rarely explained.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 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

arcane”, answered

How do you pronounce “arcane”?

“arcane” is pronounced /ˌɑɹˈkeɪn/ (ahr-KAYN) in American English and /ɑːkeɪn/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “keɪn”. Build it as ɑɹ-KEꞮN, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “arcane” have?

2: ɑɹ · keɪn. The beat lands on the second, “keɪn”.

Is “arcane” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɑɹˈkeɪn/ (ahr-KAYN); British English says /ɑːkeɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “arcane” mean?

As an adjective: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge For example: “the arcane science of dowsing”

Where is the stress in “arcane”?

Stress the second syllable: ɑɹ-KEꞮN. “keɪn” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “arcane” and see every sound

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