2 syllables: co, dex. Stress on co.
KOH-deks
/ˈkoʊ.dɛks/
codex is pronounced KOH-deks (/ˈkoʊ.dɛks/). It has two syllables (co-dex), with the stress on "co". Codex refers to a manuscript book in the form of a bound stack of pages, historically replacing scrolls. In modern use it designates a collection of laws, codes, or a symbolic, authoritative compendium. The word conveys scholarly, archival, or documentary significance and often appears in contexts of antiquarian studies, law, or information repositories.
Codex refers to a manuscript book in the form of a bound stack of pages, historically replacing scrolls. In modern use it designates a collection of laws, codes, or a symbolic, authoritative compendium. The word conveys scholarly, archival, or documentary significance and often appears in contexts of antiquarian studies, law, or information repositories.
- You may over-open the mouth on the first syllable, producing an /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ sound instead of the accurate /oʊ/ or /oʊ/. To correct, keep the jaw moderately open, push the lips forward into a rounded vowel, and glide into the /dɛks/ without shortening the vowel. - Another error is mispronouncing the final 'ex' as a separate, drawn-out 'eks' instead of a short, crisp /ɛks/. Practice a quick, clipped ending: /dɛks/ with a short /ɛ/ and /k/ blending into /s/; avoid voicing the final consonant beyond what is needed. - Misplacing stress or shadowing a Turkish or Spanish analog could lead to a less prominent first syllable. Ensure primary stress is on syllable 1 by sustaining it a touch longer than the second syllable and avoiding secondary stress on the second syllable. - Some speakers drop the /d/ or merge /d/ with /ɡ/ in rapid speech; keep the /d/ clearly released before the /ɛ/ to avoid /koʊ.ɡɛks/ mispronunciations.
"The ancient codex preserved sacred texts and legal codes."
"Researchers cataloged the codex to compare medieval scripts."
"The company released a codex of cybersecurity guidelines for developers."
codex is pronounced COH-dex in US and UK. IPA: US ˈkoʊ.dɛks, UK ˈkəʊ.dɛks. The first syllable carries the primary stress; the vowel is a long close diphthong in US, a closer, rounded vowel in UK. End with a clear, unvoiced 'd' and short 'ex' as 'ecks'.
Common mistakes: treating the first syllable as a short ‘co-’ or misplacing stress on the second syllable; pronouncing the final 'ex' as a separate 'eks' with a prolonged vowel. Correction: use a crisp, stressed first syllable with a lengthened ‘o’ or ‘ow’ sound (US: /koʊ/; UK: /kəʊ/), and finish with a brief, unstressed /dɛks/.
In US: /ˈkoʊ.dɛks/, a pure 'oʊ' diphthong and a lighter /d/ before /ɛ/. In UK: /ˈkəʊ.dɛks/, the first vowel is a longer, rounded /əʊ/ with a slightly reduced initial consonant, and non-rhoticity can affect vowel coloration. In Australian: often /ˈkəʊ.dɛks/ with Australian vowel flattening and slightly more centralized front vowels.
The difficulty lies in coordinating the syllable-timed rhythm with a crisp /d/ followed by a short /ɛ/ in many accents. The /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong in the first syllable can be misarticulated as a short /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ sound, and the final /ɛks/ can blur into /s/ or /ɪks/. Focus on a clean onset with a distinct, brief /d/ and a clear, short 'eks'.
Yes. The primary stress is on the first syllable and the contrast between the long 'o' vowel in /ˈkoʊ/ (US) or /ˈkəʊ/ (UK) vs. the short, lax /ɛ/ in /dɛks/ is critical. The combination of the oral vowel quality and the /d/ onset before a 'ex' cluster is a hallmark that distinguishes codex from similar-looking words like ‘codec’ or ‘codexes.’
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- US: Emphasize /ˈkoʊ.dɛks/ with a clear, rounded /oʊ/ on the first syllable; keep /d/ a brief stop before a short /ɛ/; ensure the final /ks/ is crisp but not aspirated. Pronounce the /d/ with full voicing, then immediately release to /ɛ/. - UK: /ˈkəʊ.dɛks/ often features a marginally reduced initial vowel; keep the /k/ release clean and the /d/ unaspirated, with a short /ɛ/ before /ks/. - AU: Similar to UK, but you may hear broader diphthongs and slightly softer /d/ release; maintain the /ˈkəʊ.dɛks/ rhythm with a brisk ending.
Codex originates from Latin codex, meaning ‘block of wood’ or ‘book of laws,’ derived from co- (together) and -dexus, related to ‘document, binding.’ In late Latin, codex came to mean a bound book of laws or documents, contrasting with scrolls, which were unfolded. The form emerged in Roman times as a convenient replacement for scrolls; pages were folded and bound, enabling easier reference and annotation. The term spread through legal, religious, and scholarly contexts in medieval Europe, where codices became repositories of canon law, Christian texts, and classical works. In modern usage, codex often signals an authoritative, curated collection of information—e.g., a legal codex, a codex of laws, or a body of integrated data. The semantic shift from a physical bound volume to a broader metaphor for a structured compendium reflects changes in information storage and the enduring prestige of bound, organized reference works. First known use in Latin sources appears in Late Antiquity, with subsequent adoption into English by the 16th–17th centuries as scholars and jurists described bound volumes that compiled codes or laws.
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Words that rhyme with "codex"
-lex sounds
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