How to pronounce picnic
Say it like PIK-nik. Picnic has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PIK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce picnic. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PIK
- nik
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Picnic pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PIKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- nikGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of picnic
American and British speakers say picnic in essentially the same way: /ˈpɪkˌnɪk/ in the US and /ˈpɪkˌnɪk/ in the UK.
British respelling: PIK-nik.
What does picnic mean?
- a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering
- any undertaking that is easy to do“marketing this product will be no picnic”
- any informal meal eaten outside or on an excursion
- eat alfresco, in the open air“We picnicked near the lake on this gorgeous Sunday”
Where does picnic come from?
Borrowed from French pique-nique.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying picnic
How do you pronounce picnic?
Say PIK-nik. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɪkˌnɪk/. In British English it is /ˈpɪkˌnɪk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in picnic?
Picnic has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PIK). Broken into parts: PIK · nik.
Do Americans and Brits say picnic the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɪkˌnɪk/ and the British form is /ˈpɪkˌnɪk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.