3 syllables: Al, chem, ist. Stress on Al.
AL-chuh-mist
/ˈæltʃəmɪst/
Alchemist is pronounced AL-chuh-mist (/ˈæltʃəmɪst/). It has three syllables (Al-chem-ist), with the stress on "Al". Alchemist is a person who practices alchemy, especially historically, aiming to transform base metals into noble ones like gold, and to discover a universal solvent or the elixir of life. In modern usage, it often means a person who transforms or alters things in a seemingly magical or scientific way. The term carries a sense of mystery, experiment, and meticulous craft.
nounAlchemist is a person who practices alchemy, especially historically, aiming to transform base metals into noble ones like gold, and to discover a universal solvent or the elixir of life. In modern usage, it often means a person who transforms or alters things in a seemingly magical or scientific way. The term carries a sense of mystery, experiment, and meticulous craft.
- You might rush the second syllable, saying AL-kem-ist instead of AL-kuh-mist; keep a light schwa /ə/ in the second syllable and avoid overemphasizing /e/. - Another mistake is misplacing the /l/ and a slight pause between /l/ and /k/, producing AL—L—KEM—IST instead of ALK-ə-mist; maintain a smooth /l/ with the /k/ onset. - Finally, learners often deform the final cluster into a softer /st/ as in 'mist' without clear /t/—breath out as /st/ to keep it crisp.
"The alchemist spent years in a dim laboratory, chasing the dream of turning lead into gold."
"A novelist framed the scientist as an alchemist of ideas, blending chemistry and myth."
"In the story, the alchemist’s careful experiments yielded unexpected, transformative results."
Pronounce as AL-kuh-mist with stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU j: /ˈælkəmɪst/. Break it into syllables: AL- as in 'alarm', ku- as in 'cudgel' without the 'd', -mist as in 'mist'. Ensure the /æ/ in the first syllable is the bright short vowel, not a schwa.
Common errors: 1) pronouncing the middle vowel as a clear 'e' (aal-kem-ist) instead of the quick schwa or short /ə/ in the second syllable. 2) misplacing stress on the second syllable (al-KEM-ist). 3) letting the final /st/ blend too softly, hinting at 'al-KO-mist'. Correction: keep /æ/ in the first syllable, use a quick /ə/ for the second syllable, and clearly pronounce /st/ at the end.
US/UK/AU share the same primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈælkəmɪst/. Vowel quality differences are subtle: US tends to a slightly longer /æ/; UK may render /æ/ a touch tenser; AU often adopts a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable in fast speech. The /r/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic UK and AU accents, while US includes a rhotic /ɹ/ only when followed by a vowel, which isn’t the case here.
Difficulties center on the quick, unstressed middle syllable and the final consonant cluster /st/. Many speakers shorten the second syllable to a reduced vowel, or blur the /l/ with adjacent sounds. The presence of /l/ in a stressed first syllable followed by a quick /k/ onset can tempt learners to mispronounce as 'al-chem-ist' with a hard ch-like sound; keep it /kl/, and ensure a clean transition to /mɪst/.
Its unique blend of a long-established historical term and a common modern suffix makes it a staple pronunciation test. The challenge is to maintain crisp /kl/ sequence after a stressed /æ/, without turning the /k/ into a hard /t/ or overly delaying the /m/ before /ɪst/. The word’s classic, literary aura also invites careful, precise articulation to reflect its heritage.
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- US: maintain rhoticity in connected speech; although /r/ doesn't appear in this word, your surrounding words may include /ɹ/. Slow this word down a touch to maintain the /l/ and /k/ transition; deepen the /æ/ slightly for a more American feel. IPA: /ˈæl.kə.mɪst/. - UK: non-rhotic; avoid a trailing 'r'. Keep the /æ/ crisp, and allow a slightly softer second syllable /ə/; don’t overpronounce the /k/; keep it as a clear /k/ after /l/. IPA: /ˈæl.kə.mɪst/. - AU: tends to faster, with a more centralized second vowel; keep second syllable neutral /ə/ and a clean final /st/. IPA: /ˈælkəmɪst/. - Common point: practice with minimal pairs to ensure you’re not turning /kl/ into /gl/ or /kl/ into /k/ without the link to the /l/.
Alchemist comes from the Old French alchimiste, from Late Latin alchemista, from Arabic al-kimiya, itself from Greek khemeia, which referred to the art of transmuting metals. The Arabic term is from khēmeia, derived from Greek kheō, to pour or pour forth, and from the Egyptian efu-chemical traditions. The root concept tied to ‘chemical arts’ expanded in medieval Europe into a broader study of substances, with the hopeful aim of turning base metals into gold and discovering a universal solvent. By the 16th and 17th centuries, alchemy blended mysticism and proto-science, with famous figures playing both scientist and mystic. In modern usage, the word often denotes someone who transforms ideas or processes with inventive, experimental rigor, echoing the original sense of transmutation but applied to knowledge, art, or technology.
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Words that rhyme with "Alchemist"
-ist sounds
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