Dike is a noun meaning a raised embankment or wall built to prevent flooding from a river, sea, or other body of water. It can also refer to a bedrock ridge or a barrier in drainage contexts. The term denotes a man-made or natural barrier designed to control water flow and protect land from inundation.
"- The city reinforced the dike to withstand storm surges."
"- A centuries-old dike still lines the riverbank, protecting nearby farms."
"- Engineers inspected the dike after heavy rainfall."
"- Some regions rely on dikes as primary defense against coastal flooding."
Dike comes from Middle Dutch dijk or diijk, meaning 'a quay or dike' and the Proto-Germanic *duh- (dike, wall)related to Dutch dijk and German Deich. The term entered Middle English as dike, dyke, or diek, borrowed via northern European trade and coastal defense terminology. Historically, a dike was a broad protective barrier used to keep sea or river water from flooding land, especially in the Low Countries and parts of northern Europe. Over time, the word broadened to include earthen or stone embankments engineered for drainage and flood control. In American usage, dyke is also a common spelling variant used in some regions, though dike remains standard in technical and geophysical contexts. The earliest attestations date to the 14th–15th centuries in English law and coastal engineering documents, reflecting its importance in managing water in densely populated, flood-prone areas. Today, dike/dyke is a stable term in civil engineering, geography, and historical studies, often associated with long-standing land reclamation projects and storm protection infrastructure.
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Words that rhyme with "Dike"
-ike sounds
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You pronounce it as /daɪk/. Start with the onset /d/ by pressing the tongue to the alveolar ridge, glide into the diphthong /aɪ/ (like 'eye'), and finish with the voiceless /k/ closure. Stress is on the single syllable. For audio reference, you can compare with online dictionaries or pronunciation videos that model the same IPA: /daɪk/.
Common errors include shortening the vowel to a monophthong and ending with a softer or aspirated /k/ rather than a crisp /k/. Another pitfall is misplacing the /d/; ensure the tongue taps the alveolar ridge, not the teeth. Practice precise /aɪ/ glide and stop the air abruptly for /k/.
In US, UK, and AU, /daɪk/ remains a rhotic-equivalent close to /daɪk/; however, vowel quality around surrounding sounds may influence pace and aspiration. US speakers may have a shorter onset release with a sharper /aɪ/ glide; UK and AU may show subtle vowel length differences before voiceless consonants but the core is the same /daɪk/.
Two main challenges are the precise /d/ contact at the alveolar ridge and the accurate diphthong /aɪ/ articulation, which requires a smooth transition from [a] to [ɪ]. The final /k/ must be released cleanly with no voice after the stop. Consistency in these features across rapid speech can be tricky for non-native speakers.
Dike is a single syllable with primary stress on the word itself; there are no silent letters. The key quirks are achieving the crisp /d/ onset and the clean /k/ release around the diphthong /aɪ/. Don’t nasalize or schwa the vowel; keep the diphthong dynamic and clear.
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