Pronunciation

How to pronounce “cryptic

“cryptic” is pronounced /ˈkɹɪptɪk/ (KRIP-tik) in American English and /kɹɪptɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cryp”.
The sound

Say “cryptic” in 2 beats

Say it like this

cryptic

/ˈkɹɪptɪk/

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

2 beats
  1. crypkɹɪpstress
  2. tictɪk
IPA (American)
/ˈkɹɪptɪk/
IPA (British)
/kɹɪptɪk/
Respelling
KRIP-tik
Syllables
2 — CRYP-tic
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CRYP-tic. “cryp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈkɹɪptɪk/

British

/kɹɪptɪk/

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

Meaning

What “cryptic” means

  1. adjective

    of an obscure nature; ; ; ; - Rachel Carson

    the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms

  2. adjective

    having a secret or hidden meaning; ; ; - John Gunther

    cabalistic symbols engraved in stone

  3. adjective

    having a puzzling terseness

    a cryptic note

Say it in a sentence

She left a cryptic note on the back of a receipt.
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

cryptic”, answered

How do you pronounce “cryptic”?

“cryptic” is pronounced /ˈkɹɪptɪk/ (KRIP-tik) in American English and /kɹɪptɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “cryp”. Build it as CRYP-tic, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “cryptic” have?

2: cryp · tic. The beat lands on the first, “cryp”.

Is “cryptic” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkɹɪptɪk/ (KRIP-tik); British English says /kɹɪptɪk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “cryptic” mean?

As an adjective: of an obscure nature; ; ; ; - Rachel Carson For example: “the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “cryptic”?

Stress the first syllable: CRYP-tic. “cryp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “cryptic” and see every sound

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