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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “topic”

“topic” is pronounced /ˈtɑpɪk/ (TAH-pik) in American English and /tɒpɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “top”.
The sound

Say “topic” in 2 beats

Say it like this

topic

/ˈtɑpɪk/

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

2 beats
  1. toptɑstress
  2. icpɪk
IPA (American)
/ˈtɑpɪk/
IPA (British)
/tɒpɪk/
Respelling
TAH-pik
Syllables
2 — TOP-ic
Stress
Stress the first syllable: TOP-ic. “top” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈtɑpɪk/

British

/tɒpɪk/

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

Meaning

What “topic” means

  1. noun

    the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

    “he didn't want to discuss that subject”

  2. noun

    some situation or event that is thought about

    “he kept drifting off the topic”

Say it in a sentence

“The topic at every table was the flooded road.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them
ttɑahppɪshort ikk

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

Questions

“topic”, answered

How do you pronounce “topic”?

“topic” is pronounced /ˈtɑpɪk/ (TAH-pik) in American English and /tɒpɪk/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “top”. Build it as TOP-ic, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “topic” have?

2: top · ic. The beat lands on the first, “top”.

Is “topic” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈtɑpɪk/ (TAH-pik); British English says /tɒpɪk/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “topic” mean?

As a noun: the subject matter of a conversation or discussion For example: “he didn't want to discuss that subject” It carries 1 other sense as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “topic”?

Stress the first syllable: TOP-ic. “top” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “topic” and see every sound

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