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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “specific”

“specific” is pronounced /spəˈsɪfɪk/ (spuh-SIF-ik), and /spɪˈsɪfɪk/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “if”.
The sound

Say “specific” in 3 beats

Say it like this

specific

/spəˈsɪfɪk/

The voice you hear here is American; a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. specspə
  2. ifsɪstress
  3. icfɪk
IPA (American)
/spəˈsɪfɪk/
IPA (British)
/spəˈsɪfɪk/
Also accepted
/spɪˈsɪfɪk/
Respelling
spuh-SIF-ik
Syllables
3 — spec-IF-ic
Stress
Stress the second syllable: spec-IF-ic. “if” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
noun, adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Watch out

Where “specific” goes wrong

  • Often heard

    “puh-SIF-ik”/pəˈsɪfɪk/

    that is Pacific; specific starts with an s before the p

Meaning

What “specific” means

  1. noun

    a fact about some part (as opposed to general)

    “he always reasons from the particular to the general”

  2. noun

    a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease

    “quinine is a specific for malaria”

  3. adjective

    (sometimes followed by `to') applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique

    “rules with specific application”

Say it in a sentence

“Please give me a specific date so I can book the room.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them
ss×2ppəschwaɪshort i×2ffkk

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

Questions

“specific”, answered

How do you pronounce “specific”?

“specific” is pronounced /spəˈsɪfɪk/ (spuh-SIF-ik), and /spɪˈsɪfɪk/ is also accepted — 3 syllables, stressed on “if”. Build it as spec-IF-ic, then run the second syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “specific” have?

3: spec · if · ic. The beat lands on the second, “if”.

Is “specific” /spəˈsɪfɪk/ or /spɪˈsɪfɪk/?

Both. /spəˈsɪfɪk/ is the form dictionaries list first (spuh-SIF-ik).

What does “specific” mean?

As a noun: a fact about some part (as opposed to general) For example: “he always reasons from the particular to the general” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “specific”?

Stress the second syllable: spec-IF-ic. “if” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “specific” and see every sound

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Practise this word freeMore words with S