How to pronounce “illicit”
Say “illicit” in 3 beats
illicit
/ˌɪˈlɪsət/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /ɪlɪsɪt/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- ilɪ
- liclɪstress
- itsət
- IPA (American)
- /ˌɪˈlɪsət/
- IPA (British)
- /ɪlɪsɪt/
- Respelling
- i-LI-suht
- Syllables
- 3 — il-LIC-it
- Stress
- Stress the second syllable: il-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
/ˌɪˈlɪsət/
/ɪlɪsɪt/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “illicit” means
- adjective
contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention
“an illicit association with his secretary”
- adjective
contrary to or forbidden by law
“an illegitimate seizure of power”
Say it in a sentence
“The illicit bonfire filled the whole valley with smoke.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“illicit”, answered
How do you pronounce “illicit”?
“illicit” is pronounced /ˌɪˈlɪsət/ (i-LI-suht) in American English and /ɪlɪsɪt/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “lic”. Build it as il-LIC-it, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “illicit” have?
3: il · lic · it. The beat lands on the second, “lic”.
Is “illicit” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌɪˈlɪsət/ (i-LI-suht); British English says /ɪlɪsɪt/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “illicit” mean?
As an adjective: contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention For example: “an illicit association with his secretary” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “illicit”?
Stress the second syllable: il-LIC-it. “lic” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “illicit” 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.