How to pronounce “chemical”
Say “chemical” in 3 beats
chemical
/ˈkɛməkəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kɛmɪkəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- chemkɛstress
- icmə
- alkəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈkɛməkəl/
- IPA (British)
- /kɛmɪkəl/
- Also accepted
- /ˈkɛmɪkəl/
- Respelling
- KE-muh-kuhl
- Syllables
- 3 — CHEM-ic-al
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: CHEM-ic-al. “chem” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈkɛməkəl/
/kɛmɪkəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “chemical” means
- noun
material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules
- adjective
relating to or used in chemistry
“chemical engineer”
- adjective
of or made from or using substances produced by or used in reactions involving atomic or molecular changes
“chemical fertilizer”
Say it in a sentence
“A faint chemical smell hung around the newly painted room.”“chemical”, answered
How do you pronounce “chemical”?
“chemical” is pronounced /ˈkɛməkəl/ (KE-muh-kuhl) in American English and /kɛmɪkəl/ in British English, and /ˈkɛmɪkəl/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “chem”. Build it as CHEM-ic-al, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “chemical” have?
3: chem · ic · al. The beat lands on the first, “chem”.
Is “chemical” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈkɛməkəl/ (KE-muh-kuhl); British English says /kɛmɪkəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “chemical” mean?
As a noun: material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules For example: “A faint chemical smell hung around the newly painted room.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “chemical”?
Stress the first syllable: CHEM-ic-al. “chem” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “chemical” 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.