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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “classic”

“classic” is pronounced /ˈklæsɪk/ (KLA-sik) in American English and /klasɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “clas”.
The sound

Say “classic” in 2 beats

Say it like this

classic

/ˈklæsɪk/

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

2 beats
  1. clasklæstress
  2. sicsɪk
IPA (American)
/ˈklæsɪk/
IPA (British)
/klasɪk/
Respelling
KLA-sik
Syllables
2 — CLAS-sic
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CLAS-sic. “clas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈklæsɪk/

British

/klasɪk/

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

Meaning

What “classic” means

  1. noun

    a creation of the highest excellence

  2. noun

    an artist who has created classic works

  3. adjective

    of recognized authority or excellence

    “the definitive work on Greece”

Say it in a sentence

“That album is a classic, whatever you think of the band.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them
kk×2llæshort assɪshort i

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

Questions

“classic”, answered

How do you pronounce “classic”?

“classic” is pronounced /ˈklæsɪk/ (KLA-sik) in American English and /klasɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “clas”. Build it as CLAS-sic, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “classic” have?

2: clas · sic. The beat lands on the first, “clas”.

Is “classic” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈklæsɪk/ (KLA-sik); British English says /klasɪk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “classic” mean?

As a noun: a creation of the highest excellence For example: “That album is a classic, whatever you think of the band.” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “classic”?

Stress the first syllable: CLAS-sic. “clas” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “classic” and see every sound

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