How to Pronounce “sacrilegious”

American (US)

/sæk.ɹəˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/

British (UK)

/sæk.ɹəˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/

adjective — Treating something sacred with disrespect.

Example: Suggesting they change the recipe felt almost sacrilegious.

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

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /sæk.ɹəˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/ 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 "sacrilegious" mean?

sacrilegious (adjective): Treating something sacred with disrespect. For example — Suggesting they change the recipe felt almost sacrilegious.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "sacrilegious", /sæk.ɹəˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/, 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 "sacrilegious"?

/sæk.ɹəˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/ in American English, /sæk.ɹəˈlɪd͡ʒ.əs/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "sacrilegious"?

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