Pronunciation

How to pronounce “economic

“economic” is pronounced /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/ (e-kuh-NAH-mik) in American English and /iːkənɒmɪk/ in British English, and /ˌikəˈnɑmɪk/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “om”.
The sound

Say “economic” in 4 beats

Say it like this

economic

/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/

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

4 beats
  1. ecɛ
  2. on
  3. omstress
  4. icmɪk
IPA (American)
/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/
IPA (British)
/iːkənɒmɪk/
Also accepted
/ˌikəˈnɑmɪk/
Respelling
e-kuh-NAH-mik
Syllables
4 — ec-on-OM-ic
Stress
Stress the third syllable: ec-on-OM-ic. “om” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/

British

/iːkənɒmɪk/

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

Meaning

What “economic” means

  1. adjective

    of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth

    economic growth

  2. adjective

    of or relating to the science of economics

    economic theory

  3. adjective

    using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

    an economic use of home heating oil

Say it in a sentence

The economic case for the new railway line was never convincing.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 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

economic”, answered

How do you pronounce “economic”?

“economic” is pronounced /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/ (e-kuh-NAH-mik) in American English and /iːkənɒmɪk/ in British English, and /ˌikəˈnɑmɪk/ is also accepted — 4 syllables, stressed on “om”. Build it as ec-on-OM-ic, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “economic” have?

4: ec · on · om · ic. The beat lands on the third, “om”.

Is “economic” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/ (e-kuh-NAH-mik); British English says /iːkənɒmɪk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “economic” mean?

As an adjective: of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth For example: “economic growth” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “economic”?

Stress the third syllable: ec-on-OM-ic. “om” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “economic” 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.