How to pronounce sphexish
Say it like SFEK-sish. Sphexish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SFEK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sphexish. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SFEK
- sish
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sphexish pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SFEKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- sishKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of sphexish
American and British speakers say sphexish in essentially the same way: /ˈsfɛksɪʃ/ in the US and /ˈsfɛksɪʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SFEK-sish.
What does sphexish mean?
- Of animal behavior: deterministic, preprogrammed.
Where does sphexish come from?
From sphex (“sand wasp of Sphex or an allied genus”) + -ish (suffix meaning ‘being like, similar to, typical of’), coined by the American scientist and scholar of comparative literature Douglas Hofstadter (born 1945) in a September 1982 “Me
Questions about saying sphexish
How do you pronounce sphexish?
Say SFEK-sish. The American pronunciation is /ˈsfɛksɪʃ/. In British English it is /ˈsfɛksɪʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sphexish?
Sphexish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SFEK). Broken into parts: SFEK · sish.
Do Americans and Brits say sphexish the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈsfɛksɪʃ/ and the British form is /ˈsfɛksɪʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.