Anechoic

Pronounce as /ˌæn.ɪˈkɔɪ.ɪk/. The primary stress lands on the third syllable: an-eh-KOY-ik. Start with a light ‘a’ as in cat, followed by a soft ‘n’, then a short ‘ih’ or schwa for the second syllable, ‘KOY’ rhymes with ‘boy’, and finish with a clear ‘ik’ as in ‘stick’. Visualize the lips rounding slightly on the ‘ɔɪ’ vowel cluster. IPA guidance helps ensure you’re not hissing or flattening the vowels in the final syllable.

Two frequent errors are misplacing stress and mispronouncing the diphthong in the second-to-last syllable. People often place primary stress on the first or second syllable instead of on the third, yielding an ‘an-ECK-wick’ feel. Also, the ‘ɔɪ’ in ‘KOY’ should be a rounded diphthong; avoid a pure ‘aw’ or ‘o’ sound. Practice by isolating the KOY syllable and blending it smoothly with a crisp final ‘ik’.

In US, UK, and AU, the main variation is the /ɔɪ/ diphthong and rhotacization. US typically maintains a stronger rhotacized ‘er-like’ quality in some surrounding words, but in this word the /ɔɪ/ remains a rounded diphthong in all three accents. UK may show less aggressive vowel rounding and tighter jaw movement, while AU often features slightly more open front vowels in the first syllable and a clipped final syllable. Overall, the rhythm and syllable-timing align closely across these varieties for this term.

The difficulty centers on the three-syllable rhythm with a stressed mid-to-late syllable and the precise /ɔɪ/ diphthong in the third syllable. The combination of a secondary stress pattern and the transition from a light, unstressed initial syllable to a strong KOY sound can cause vowel reduction or misplacement of the tongue. Additionally, many speakers add an extra syllable or misplace the stress, creating mispronunciations like ‘an-NECK-oh-ik’ instead of the right ‘an-ih-KOY-ik’. Careful practice with IPA helps anchor the exact vowel quality and stress.

Anechoic contains no silent letters; each letter contributes to pronunciation. The tricky part is the secondary stress and the /ɪ/ vs /i/ distinction in the second syllable. Also, the /k/ onset in the final syllable must be clearly released before the /ɔɪ/ vowel, avoiding a fused or muffled transition. Visualizing mouth positions for each segment—start with a light /æ/ or /æ/ like ‘cat’, glide into /n/ then a distinct /ɪ/ before the /ˈkoɪ/ and a crisp /k/—helps solidify the accurate sequence.