How to pronounce democracy
Say it like dih-MAH-kruh-see. Democracy has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (MAH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce democracy. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- MAH
- kruh
- see
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Democracy pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- MAHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- kruhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- seeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of democracy
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: dih-MOK-ruh-see.
What does democracy mean?
- the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives
- a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
- the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group
Where does democracy come from?
By surface analysis, demo- (“people”) + -cracy (“rule”).
Words that rhyme with democracy
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of democracy.
Questions about saying democracy
How do you pronounce democracy?
Say dih-MAH-kruh-see. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈmɑkrəsi/. In British English it is /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in democracy?
Democracy has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (MAH). Broken into parts: dih · MAH · kruh · see.
Is democracy pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/ (dih-MOK-ruh-see).