2 syllables: check, sum. Stress on check.
CHEK-suhm
/ˈtʃɛkˌsəm/
checksum is pronounced CHEK-suhm (/ˈtʃɛkˌsəm/). It has two syllables (check-sum), with the stress on "check". Checksum is a small value derived from a data set, used to detect errors in transmission or storage. It involves computing a numeric or alphanumeric result from the information content, and comparing it with a stored or transmitted checksum to verify integrity. In computing contexts, it’s a technical term often used with algorithms like CRC or parity checks, forming part of data validation processes.
Checksum is a small value derived from a data set, used to detect errors in transmission or storage. It involves computing a numeric or alphanumeric result from the information content, and comparing it with a stored or transmitted checksum to verify integrity. In computing contexts, it’s a technical term often used with algorithms like CRC or parity checks, forming part of data validation processes.
"We ran a checksum to ensure the file wasn’t corrupted during transfer."
"The software computes a MD5 checksum and compares it to the expected value."
"If the checksum doesn’t match, you know the data has been altered or damaged."
Pronounce as CHEK-sum, with primary stress on CHEK. IPA US: /ˈtʃɛkˌsʌm/. Start with the voiceless post-alveolar affricate /tʃ/ as in 'check', followed by /ɛ/ as in 'bed', then /k/, and end with a short /s/ then /ʌ/ as in 'strut', finishing with /m/. The rhythm is two syllables, the first stressed, and a light, quick second syllable. Listen to an online pronunciation resource and mirror the mouth shape: the jaw opens slightly for /ɛ/, lips stay relaxed, and the /s/ is a crisp hiss before /ʌm/.
Common mistakes: 1) Slurring to a single syllable as 'checks‑um' or 'check‑sum' with reduced /ʌ/; 2) Substituting /k/ with /g/ due to voicing confusion, or misplacing voicing in 'sum' leading to /sɜːm/; 3) Dropping the /tʃ/ blend at the start, producing 'ek-sum'. Correction: preserve the initial /tʃ/ sound from 'check', keep clear /ɛ/ in the first vowel, ensure the /k/ is released, and keep /s/ crisp before /ʌ/; practice with minimal pairs: 'check-sum' vs 'chek-sum' to tune the affricate onset.
Across accents, the main differences are vowel quality and rhoticity. US/UK both use /ˈtʃɛkˌsʌm/, with rhoticity affecting the 'sum' vowel in some American contexts where /sʌm/ remains non-rhotic in careful speech. Australian speakers generally follow /ˈtʃekˌsʌm/ with a slightly more open /ɛ/ in /tʃɛk/ and a smoother, less tense /ʌ/ in /sʌm/. The primary stress pattern remains
The difficulty comes from the consonant cluster /tʃk/ at the start and the rapid shift from /tʃ/ to /k/ followed by /s/. The /tʃ/ blend requires the tongue to move from postalveolar to velar position quickly, and the /ks/ sequence in the transition between syllables can blur in fast speech. Additionally, the short /ʌ/ in /sʌm/ can be mispronounced as /ə/ or /ɪ/. Focus on crisp /tʃ/ release, a clear /k/ stop, and a perceptible /s/ before the /ʌ/.
In checksum, the 'ch' is the /tʃ/ sound as in 'check' rather than the /tʃɒ/ or /tʃɔː/ of other words. It’s the same digraph 'ch' as in 'check' or 'chat' but here specifically gives the initial /tʃ/ onset. The following letters do not alter the onset; the key is delivering a clean /tʃ/ release before the /ɛ/ vowel of the first syllable. Using a small mouth opening and a quick air release helps the /tʃ/ remain distinct.
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The term checksum combines check, in the sense of inspection or verification, with sum, emphasizing the resulting value that represents the aggregate of data. The concept emerged from early data integrity practices in computing and telecommunications, where simple arithmetic sums were used to detect accidental changes to raw data. In the 1960s and 1970s, as computer networks grew, more robust forms like parity bits and CRCs were introduced, but the simple word “checksum” persisted as a broad umbrella term for any verification value derived from a set of data. The earliest usage in technical writing appears in mid-20th-century computer science texts describing error-detection methods, often in the context of memory checks, data transmission protocols, and file integrity verification. Today, checksum commonly denotes either a raw sum or a more complex function whose result is compared against a known value. It remains foundational in software packaging, file transfer, and network protocols, with the nuance that many modern checksums employ cryptographic-style hash functions or polynomial division for better collision resistance.
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Words that rhyme with "checksum"
-sum sounds
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