How to pronounce “explicit”
Say “explicit” in 3 beats
explicit
/ɪkˈsplɪsət/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɛksplɪsɪt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- expɪk
- licsplɪstress
- itsət
- IPA (American)
- /ɪkˈsplɪsət/
- IPA (British)
- /ɛksplɪsɪt/
- Respelling
- ik-SPLI-suht
- Syllables
- 3 — exp-LIC-it
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: exp-LIC-it. “lic” 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
American and British are not the same here
/ɪkˈsplɪsət/
/ɛksplɪsɪt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “explicit” means
- adjective
precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication
“explicit instructions”
- adjective
in accordance with fact or the primary meaning of a term
Say it in a sentence
“Her instructions were explicit: no shoes past the front door.”“explicit”, answered
How do you pronounce “explicit”?
“explicit” is pronounced /ɪkˈsplɪsət/ (ik-SPLI-suht) in American English and /ɛksplɪsɪt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “lic”. Build it as exp-LIC-it, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “explicit” have?
3: exp · lic · it. The beat lands on the second, “lic”.
Is “explicit” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ɪkˈsplɪsət/ (ik-SPLI-suht); British English says /ɛksplɪsɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “explicit” mean?
As an adjective: precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication For example: “explicit instructions” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “explicit”?
Stress the second syllable: exp-LIC-it. “lic” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “explicit” 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.