2 syllables: caust, ic. Stress on caust.
/ˈkɔːstɪk/
Say it backCaustic describes a substance that can burn or corrode, or a remark that is severely critical or sarcastic. The term conveys sharp, biting effect—physically corrosive or metaphorically provocative—often implying potential damage or irritation. In everyday use, it can describe chemistry, cleaning agents, or commentary that stings emotionally or intellectually.
"The chemist handled caustic soda with extreme care to prevent skin contact."
"Her caustic wit left no one unscathed at the dinner table."
"The painter used caustic chemicals to strip away old paint, revealing the fresh layer beneath."
Pronounced CAUS-tic, with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPAUS: US /ˈkɔː.stɪk/ (British: /ˈkɒː.stɪk/), but the vowel is a long ɔː in both US and UK; in many American accents the first vowel is a rounded open back vowel. Mouth: start with a rounded ‘aw’ sound, then s as in ‘sizzle’, and finally a short ‘-tick’ with a clear t. Listen for the smooth transition from the long vowel to the consonant cluster. You’ll want to avoid a second syllable stress and keep the t crisp.
Two common errors: misplacing the stress (pronouncing ‘caus-tic’ with stress on the second syllable), and mispronouncing the vowel as a short /æ/ in US speech (CAStic). Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable and use the long /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ vowel in the first syllable (like ‘caught’ without the r). End with a crisp /tɪk/ rather than a soft or blurred ending. Practice by saying CAUS-tych in a slow, steady tempo, then accelerate.
In US and UK, the first syllable features a back rounded vowel; US commonly uses /ˈkɔːstɪk/ and UK often /ˈkɒːstɪk/; both use a clear /st/ cluster followed by /ɪk/. Australian tends to align with UK on vowel height but may exhibit broader diphthongs or slightly different rounding in the first vowel. The final syllable remains /tɪk/. The rhotics are minimal in non-rhotic accents; the key difference is vowel quality in the first syllable.
The difficulty lies in the long, tense first vowel and the crisp /st/ cluster, which require precise tongue positioning. The /ɔː/ or /ɒː/ sound is a back rounded vowel; many speakers substitute a lighter /ɑː/ or /ɔ/ if not careful. The ending /-stɪk/ demands a short, clipped /t/ followed by a strong /ɪ/ before the /k/. Practice keeping the jaw relatively high, lips rounded for the first vowel, and the tongue slicing quickly past the alveolar ridge for the /st/.
A unique query is whether the "au" digraph here behaves like long /ɔː/ rather than /ɔ/; in caustic, it is a tense, rounded /ɔː/ vowel typically. It’s not a diphthong in standard American or British pronunciations; the /ɔː/ remains steady, with a short /ɪ/ in the second syllable. The result is CAUS-tic with a stable first vowel and a crisp, closed /t/ before /ɪk/.
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Caustic comes from Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos meaning 'capable of burning' or 'burning with heat,' from kaustos meaning 'burned, burnt' or 'a burning.' The Greek root kaust- derives from kaiein 'to burn.' The term entered English in the 17th century in the chemical sense (substances that burn or corrode). Over time, its metaphorical extension for sharp or biting remarks emerged, capturing the sense of something that corrosively harms feelings or judgments, as a caustic remark can 'burn' the confidence of the listener. The evolution tracks a move from physical chemistry to figurative language, with usage intensifying during modern scientific and literary discourse. In contemporary usage, caustic frequently describes corrosive substances (like acids or cleaners) and caustic humor or criticism, preserving both physical and metaphorical senses. First known English attestations appeared in scientific contexts, later broadening to social critique and everyday description of sharp negativity, reinforced by parallel words such as corrosive and abrasive.
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Words that rhyme with "caustic"
-tic sounds
-me) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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