How to pronounce historical
Say it like hih-STOR-ih-kul. Historical has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce historical. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- hih
- STOR
- ih
- kul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Historical pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- hihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- STORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- kulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of historical
American and British speakers say historical in essentially the same way: /hɪˈstɔrɪkəl/ in the US and /hɪˈstɒrɪkəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: hih-STOR-ih-kul.
What does historical mean?
- of or relating to the study of history“historical scholars”“a historical perspective”
- having once lived or existed or taken place in the real world as distinct from being legendary“the historical Jesus”“doubt that a historical Camelot every existed”
- belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past“historic victories”“historical (or historic) times”
Where does historical come from?
From Latin historicus (“historical”) + -al (forming adjectives denoting of or relating to).
Words that rhyme with historical
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of historical.
Questions about saying historical
How do you pronounce historical?
Say hih-STOR-ih-kul. The American pronunciation is /hɪˈstɔrɪkəl/. In British English it is /hɪˈstɒrɪkəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in historical?
Historical has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (STOR). Broken into parts: hih · STOR · ih · kul.
Do Americans and Brits say historical the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hɪˈstɔrɪkəl/ and the British form is /hɪˈstɒrɪkəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.