How to pronounce acrostic
Say it like uh-KRAW-stik. Acrostic has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (KRAW).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce acrostic. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- uh
- KRAW
- stik
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Acrostic pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- KRAWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- stikKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of acrostic
American and British speakers say acrostic in essentially the same way: /əˈkrɔstɪk/ in the US and /əˈkrɒstɪk/ in the UK.
British respelling: uh-KROS-tik.
What does acrostic mean?
- A poem or other text in which certain letters, often the first in each line, spell out a name or message.
- A poem in Hebrew in which successive lines or verses start with consecutive letters of the alphabet.
- A kind of word puzzle, whose solution forms an anagram of a quotation, with its initial letters often forming the name of the person quoted.
- Of or pertaining to acrostics.
Questions about saying acrostic
How do you pronounce acrostic?
Say uh-KRAW-stik. The American pronunciation is /əˈkrɔstɪk/. In British English it is /əˈkrɒstɪk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in acrostic?
Acrostic has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (KRAW). Broken into parts: uh · KRAW · stik.
Do Americans and Brits say acrostic the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /əˈkrɔstɪk/ and the British form is /əˈkrɒstɪk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.