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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “economical”

“economical” is pronounced /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkəl/ (e-kuh-NAH-mi-kuhl) in American English and /iːkənɒmɪkəl/ in British English, and /ˌikəˈnɑmɪkəl/ is also accepted — 5 syllables, stressed on “om”.
The sound

Say “economical” in 5 beats

Say it like this

economical

/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkəl/

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

5 beats
  1. ecɛ
  2. onkə
  3. omnɑstress
  4. icmɪ
  5. alkəl
IPA (American)
/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkəl/
IPA (British)
/iːkənɒmɪkəl/
Also accepted
/ˌikəˈnɑmɪkəl/
Respelling
e-kuh-NAH-mi-kuhl
Syllables
5 — ec-on-OM-ic-al
Stress
Stress the third syllable: ec-on-OM-ic-al. “om” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall 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

/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkəl/

British

/iːkənɒmɪkəl/

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

Meaning

What “economical” means

  1. adjective

    using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

    “an economic use of home heating oil”

  2. adjective

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

    “economic growth”

  3. adjective

    avoiding waste

    “an economical meal”

Say it in a sentence

“A smaller car is far more economical on these narrow roads.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

8 sounds, in the order you say them
ɛshort ekk×2əschwa×2nnɑahmmɪshort ill

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

Questions

“economical”, answered

How do you pronounce “economical”?

“economical” is pronounced /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkəl/ (e-kuh-NAH-mi-kuhl) in American English and /iːkənɒmɪkəl/ in British English, and /ˌikəˈnɑmɪkəl/ is also accepted — 5 syllables, stressed on “om”. Build it as ec-on-OM-ic-al, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “economical” have?

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

Is “economical” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkəl/ (e-kuh-NAH-mi-kuhl); British English says /iːkənɒmɪkəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “economical” mean?

As an adjective: using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness For example: “an economic use of home heating oil” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “economical”?

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

Practise this word

Now say “economical” and see every sound

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