How to pronounce handwavium
Say it like han-DWAY-vee-um. Handwavium has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DWAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce handwavium. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- han
- DWAY
- vee
- um
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Handwavium pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- hanKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- DWAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- veeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- umKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of handwavium
American and British speakers say handwavium in essentially the same way: /hænˈdweɪviəm/ in the US and /hænˈdweɪviəm/ in the UK.
British respelling: han-DWAY-vee-um.
What does handwavium mean?
- Any hypothetical but unobtainable material with desirable engineering properties.
Where does handwavium come from?
From hand waving + -ium (“the chemical element suffix”).
Questions about saying handwavium
How do you pronounce handwavium?
Say han-DWAY-vee-um. The American pronunciation is /hænˈdweɪviəm/. In British English it is /hænˈdweɪviəm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in handwavium?
Handwavium has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (DWAY). Broken into parts: han · DWAY · vee · um.
Do Americans and Brits say handwavium the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hænˈdweɪviəm/ and the British form is /hænˈdweɪviəm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.