How to Pronounce “sciatica”

American (US)

/saɪˈætɪkə/

British (UK)

/saɪˈætɪkə/

noun — Pain radiating along the sciatic nerve, from the lower back down the leg.

Example: The sciatica kept him standing through the meeting.

Where the stress falls. “sciatica” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /saɪˈætɪkə/ 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. /saɪˈætɪkə/ 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 "sciatica" mean?

sciatica (noun): Pain radiating along the sciatic nerve, from the lower back down the leg. For example — The sciatica kept him standing through the meeting.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "sciatica", /saɪˈætɪkə/, 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 "sciatica"?

/saɪˈætɪkə/ in American English, /saɪˈætɪkə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "sciatica"?

“sciatica” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /saɪˈætɪkə/ 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.