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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

asterisk

/ˈæstɚɪsk/

Press play to hear how to pronounce asterisk.

American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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Keep the final “s” before the “k.”

Its last two consonants are s and then k; practice that order without reversing them or adding a final vowel.

3 syllables · Stress on syllable 1

TRY SAYING
An asterisk marks the footnote.

APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

What does asterisk mean?

verb

  1. To mark or replace (text, etc.) with an asterisk symbol (*; noun sense 1.1); to star.
More meanings (6)

noun

  1. (dated) A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.
  2. (dated) The star-shaped symbol *, which is used in printing and writing for various purposes, including to refer a reader to a note at the bottom of a page or in a margin, and to indicate the omission of letters or words; a star.
  3. (dated) Something resembling or shaped like an asterisk symbol.
  4. (dated, figuratively) Something which is of little importance or which is marginal; a footnote.
  5. (dated, figuratively) A blemish in an otherwise outstanding achievement.
  6. (dated) An instrument with radiating arms resembling a star which is placed over the diskos (or paten) used during the Eucharist to prevent the veil covering the chalice and diskos from touching the host on the diskos.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈæstɚɪsk/

Pronunciation used in the listening tip.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Other dictionary pronunciations

/ˈæstəˌɹɪsk//ˈæst(ə)ˌɹɪks/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

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

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

Everywhere in the missal where an asterisk occurs they pause, and say in a low voice, “Jesus-Marie-Joseph.”
Victor HugoLes MisérablesTranslated by Isabel Florence HapgoodProject Gutenberg ebook #135
In the following lists, the plants native to the United States or Canada are marked by an asterisk *.
L. H. (Liberty Hyde) BaileyManual of Gardening (Second Edition) A Practical Guide to the Making of Home Grounds and the Growing of Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables for Home UseProject Gutenberg ebook #9550
More book examples (2)
An asterisk denotes that the book is in the press.
Ernest Albert SavageOld English libraries : $b the making, collection, and use of books during the Middle AgesProject Gutenberg ebook #1615
He had looked out all the pictures to which an asterisk was affixed in those formidable pages of fine print in his Bädeker; his attention had been strained and his eyes dazzled, and he had sat down with an æsthetic headache.
Henry JamesThe AmericanProject Gutenberg ebook #177