How to pronounce wicked
Say it like WIK-ud. Wicked has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WIK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce wicked. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- WIK
- ud
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Wicked pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- WIKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- udKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of wicked
American and British speakers say wicked in essentially the same way: /ˈwɪkəd/ in the US and /ˈwɪkɪd/ in the UK.
British respelling: WIK-id.
What does wicked mean?
- morally bad in principle or practice
- having committed unrighteous acts“a sinful person”
- intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality“severe pain”“a severe case of flu”
Where does wicked come from?
The "excellent, awesome" sense is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of "evil, mischievous".
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying wicked
How do you pronounce wicked?
Say WIK-ud. The American pronunciation is /ˈwɪkəd/. In British English it is /ˈwɪkɪd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in wicked?
Wicked has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (WIK). Broken into parts: WIK · ud.
Do Americans and Brits say wicked the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈwɪkəd/ and the British form is /ˈwɪkɪd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.