How to Pronounce “empirical”

American (US)

/ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/

British (UK)

/ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/

adjective — Based on observation or experiment rather than theory alone.

Example: There is no empirical support for the claim.

Synonyms: observed, experimental

Antonyms: theoretical

Where the stress falls. “empirical” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "empirical" mean?

empirical (adjective): Based on observation or experiment rather than theory alone. For example — There is no empirical support for the claim.

How do you pronounce "empirical" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "empirical", /ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "empirical"?

/ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/ in American English, /ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "empirical"?

“empirical” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ɪmˈpɪrɪkəl/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

• Academic Word List essentials