4 syllables: con, spi, ra, cy. Stress on spi.
kuhn-SPIR-uh-see
/kənˈspɪɹəsi/
conspiracy is pronounced kuhn-SPIR-uh-see (/kənˈspɪɹəsi/). It has four syllables (con-spi-ra-cy), with the stress on "spi". Conspiracy refers to a secret plan by a group to do something harmful or unlawful. It can also denote the act of forming such a plan or the group itself. The term often appears in legal, political, and media contexts to describe collusion or scheming that is hidden from public view.
Conspiracy refers to a secret plan by a group to do something harmful or unlawful. It can also denote the act of forming such a plan or the group itself. The term often appears in legal, political, and media contexts to describe collusion or scheming that is hidden from public view.
- Misplacing stress: put strong emphasis on the second syllable (con-SPIR-a-cy) rather than the first or last; practice with word-by-word holding of the second syllable to feel the peak sound. - Blurred /sp/ cluster: ensure a clean release: start with /s/ and immediately push air into /p/; don’t reduce /sp/ to a simple /s/ or /sp/ to /spɪ/ without the following /r/. - Final -cy mispronunciation: avoid pronouncing as /siː/ or /si/ with too much duration; keep it short, quick, and unstressed /si/.
"There was a conspiracy to fix the price of the product, which prosecutors uncovered."
"The veterans argued that a conspiracy theory had shaped public perception."
"Authorities uncovered a conspiracy among several officials to bypass procurement rules."
You say con·spir·a·cy with the primary stress on the second syllable: /kənˈspɪr.ə.si/. Start with /kən/ (like ‘con’), then /ˈspɪr/ (rhymes with ‘fir’ but with a short i), followed by /ə/ (schwa) and /si/ (like ‘see’). The rhythm is two strong peaks on the second syllable and the final unstressed syllable. You can listen to the pronunciation on Forvo or Cambridge Dictionary for verification, but the key is keeping the /ʃ/ or /sp/ cluster clear and the second syllable strongly stressed.
Common mistakes include compressing the second syllable’s stress or mispronouncing the /spɪr/ cluster as /spɪɹ/ without the clear air release. Also, the final -cy can be mispronounced as /si/ vs /siː/ or /si/; keep it unstressed and quick: …/ˈspɪr.ə.si/. To correct: exaggerate the /sp/ onset with a light aspirated breath, ensure the /ɪ/ is short, and don’t turn the second syllable into /spər/ by rounding the vowel unnecessarily.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the core is /kənˈspɪr.ə.si/. Differences lie in rhoticity and vowel quality: US tends to be rhotic with a more prominent /r/ in /ˈspɪr/; UK often has a shorter /ɪ/ and less rhoticity depending on the region; AU typically falls between, with a slightly weaker /r/ and a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable. The primary stress remains on the second syllable in all three, but the vowel qualities and the /r/ color differ.
The difficulty comes from the /ˈspɪr.ə/ sequence where a clear, crisp /sp/ onset blends into a buzzing /ɪr/ vowel; the unstressed -cy ending can trick speakers into elongating it. Also, the multi-syllable rhythm places stress on the middle syllable, which can cause trailing sounds to blur into /ə.si/. Mastery requires precise articulation of the /sp/ cluster, short /ɪ/, and a quick, light ending. Practice with slow, then normal pacing to lock the cadence.
Focus on the third consonant cluster: /spɪr/. The combination of /s/ + /p/ needs a clean release, and the /r/ influences the preceding vowel’s quality. You’ll want a precise /ɪ/ before the /r/ and a short, nearly unstressed /ə/ before the final /si/. Emphasize the stress on the /ɪr/ nucleus while keeping the final /si/ barely audible. This word rewards careful timing and air flow control at the /sp/ onset.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced clearly in /ˈspɪr/; keep the /ɹ/ with a rounded lip posture and an alveolar posturing for the /ɹ/. Vowel /ɪ/ is short; relax jaw to avoid a drawn-out /ɪ/. - UK: /ˈspɪr.ə.si/ with a lighter /r/ or non-rhotic in some dialects; ensure the /ə/ is a quick schwa and the /ɪ/ remains short. Final /si/ is lightly loaded and not elongated. - AU: generally non-rhotic; /ˈspɪə.rə.si/ often perceived with a closer /ɪ/ and slightly broader vowel qualities in the final syllable; keep /ə/ central and a crisp /s/ onset to the final syllable.
Conspiracy comes from the Latin conspiratio, from com- ‘together’ and spirare ‘to breathe’ (from spirare, ‘to blow’), conceptually linking to ‘breathing together’ in a shared plan. In Classical Latin, conspiratio referred to a union or plot by several people. Through Old French conspiracie and medieval Latin, meaning broadened to a clandestine agreement to commit wrongdoing. In English, conspiracy began appearing in the 14th–15th centuries with the sense of a “combination or agreement aimed at an illegal act.” The word’s semantic evolution reflects social anxieties about hidden power, covert coordination, and collective wrongdoing, leading to modern uses such as “conspiracy theories” and “conspirator.” It carries connotations of covert intent, secrecy, and mutual deception among participants, often with legal or moral implications. First known usage traces to late Middle English, with attested forms in legal and political discourse as clandestine scheming gained prominence in narratives of treachery and statecraft.
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Words that rhyme with "conspiracy"
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