How to pronounce “superficial”
Say “superficial” in 4 beats
superficial
/ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /suːpəfɪʃəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- supsu
- erpɚ
- ficfɪstress
- ialʃəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/
- IPA (British)
- /suːpəfɪʃəl/
- Respelling
- soo-puh-FI-shuhl
- Syllables
- 4 — sup-er-FIC-ial
- Stress
- Stress the third syllable: sup-er-FIC-ial. “fic” 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
/ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/
/suːpəfɪʃəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “superficial” means
- adjective
concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually
“superficial similarities”
- adjective
of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
“superficial measurements”
- adjective
of little substance or significance
“a few superficial editorial changes”
Say it in a sentence
“The damage is superficial, so the frame is still fine.”“superficial”, answered
How do you pronounce “superficial”?
“superficial” is pronounced /ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/ (soo-puh-FI-shuhl) in American English and /suːpəfɪʃəl/ in British English — 4 syllables, stressed on “fic”. Build it as sup-er-FIC-ial, then run the third syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “superficial” have?
4: sup · er · fic · ial. The beat lands on the third, “fic”.
Is “superficial” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/ (soo-puh-FI-shuhl); British English says /suːpəfɪʃəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “superficial” mean?
As an adjective: concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually For example: “superficial similarities” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “superficial”?
Stress the third syllable: sup-er-FIC-ial. “fic” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Now say “superficial” 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.