How to pronounce reciprocal
Say it like rih-SIP-ruh-kul. Reciprocal has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SIP).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce reciprocal. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- rih
- SIP
- ruh
- kul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Reciprocal pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- rihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SIPSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ruhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- kulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of reciprocal
American and British speakers say reciprocal in essentially the same way: /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/ in the US and /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/ in the UK.
British respelling: rih-SIP-ruh-kul.
What does reciprocal mean?
- Of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly felt or done by each party towards the other or others; two-way.“reciprocal love”
- Mutually interchangeable.
- Expressing mutual action, applied to pronouns and verbs; also in a broad sense: reflexive.
- The number obtained by dividing 1 by another given number; the result of exchanging the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.“0.5 is the reciprocal of 2.”
- A construction expressing mutual action.
Where does reciprocal come from?
From Latin reciprocus, possibly from a phrase such as reque proque (“back and forth, to and fro”), from re- (“back”), prō (“forwards”) and -que (“and”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying reciprocal
How do you pronounce reciprocal?
Say rih-SIP-ruh-kul. The American pronunciation is /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/. In British English it is /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in reciprocal?
Reciprocal has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SIP). Broken into parts: rih · SIP · ruh · kul.
Do Americans and Brits say reciprocal the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/ and the British form is /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.