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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

archaic

/ɑɹˈkeɪɪk/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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Stress “cha,” using a “k” sound and long “a.”

The ch is pronounced as k, followed by the vowel of day and a separate lighter short i before the final k.

3 syllables · Stress on syllable 2

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The glossary explains an archaic expression.

APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

What does archaic mean?

noun

  1. The prehistoric period intermediate between the earliest period (‘Paleo-Indian’, ‘Paleo-American’, ‘American‐paleolithic’, etc.) of human presence in the Western Hemisphere, and the most recent prehistoric period (‘Woodland’, etc.).
  2. (A member of) an archaic variety of Homo sapiens.

adjective

  1. Of or characterized by antiquity; old-fashioned, quaint, antiquated.
More meanings (2)

adjective

  1. No longer in ordinary use, though still used occasionally to give a sense of antiquity and still likely to be understood by well-educated speakers and are found in historical texts.
  2. Belonging to the archaic period.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ɑɹˈkeɪɪk/

Pronunciation used in the listening tip.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

This will never be done, however, as long as co-operative experiments are carried on in the present archaic fashion.
William BoothIn Darkest England, and the Way OutProject Gutenberg ebook #475
This latter was peculiar, for we had an idea that to be archaic all personal pronouns had to be omitted.
Frederic, Lord HamiltonHere, There and EverywhereProject Gutenberg ebook #6368
More book examples (3)
This archaic implement is known as a "trade gun" and has the single merit of never getting out of order.
Stewart Edward WhiteThe ForestProject Gutenberg ebook #9376
So far as this is the case it must be set down as the expression of an archaic, animistic habit of mind.
Thorstein VeblenThe Theory of the Leisure ClassProject Gutenberg ebook #833
I would rather have the most archaic map of the road to Brighton than a general recommendation to turn to the left.
G. K. (Gilbert Keith) ChestertonWhat's Wrong with the WorldProject Gutenberg ebook #1717