3 syllables: Ec, cent, ric. Stress on cent.
ik-SEN-trik
/ɪˈksɛntɹɪk/
Eccentric is pronounced ik-SEN-trik (/ɪˈksɛntɹɪk/). It has three syllables (Ec-cent-ric), with the stress on "cent". Eccentric is typically used as an adjective meaning unconventional and slightly strange, or as a noun referring to a person with unusual or whimsical behavior. It describes people or things that deviate from the norm in a way that is noticeable or distinctive. In engineering or mechanics, it can refer to a component whose motion deviates from a fixed axis, producing non-circular rotation.
nounEccentric is typically used as an adjective meaning unconventional and slightly strange, or as a noun referring to a person with unusual or whimsical behavior. It describes people or things that deviate from the norm in a way that is noticeable or distinctive. In engineering or mechanics, it can refer to a component whose motion deviates from a fixed axis, producing non-circular rotation.
- You may put stress on the first syllable (EH-CCEN-trick). Focus on the second syllable: /ˈsɛn/ with a strong vowel. - You may say the end as 'trick' with a long 'i' sound; keep it short as /trɪk/. - You might articulate a weak or overly strong initial 'ec' depending on your native tongue; keep the first syllable reduced to a quick /ɪ/ or /ə/ as appropriate. Correction tips: practice with minimal pairs: ek-SEN-trick vs ek-SEN-trik; rehearse with a syllable-timed rhythm; record and compare with the native speaker.
"Her eccentric fashion sense made her a recognizable figure at parties."
"The inventor’s eccentric ideas finally led to a breakthrough after years of quirky experimentation."
"He walked with an elaborate, almost theatrical flourish that some found endearing and others odd."
/ɪkˈsɛn.trɪk/ in US English, with two syllables after the initial unstressed prefix. The stress sits on the second syllable: ek-SEN-tric. The initial vowel is short, the 'ec' sounds like 'ihk' and the 'e' in the stressed syllable is a short 'e' as in 'bed'. Final 'tric' rhymes with 'trick' minus the hard k sound finishing ‘-trik’. Practice by isolating the vowel sounds and the 'cr' cluster: /k/ + /r/ happen at the end of the syllable.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (putting stress on the first syllable: EH-cean-trick) and mispronouncing the final cluster as 'eek-trick' or 'ek-sen-trick-uh'. Correct these by marking: enunciating the second syllable /ˈsɛn/ clearly and finishing with /trɪk/. Another frequent slip is losing the 'c' sound before the 'tr' cluster; ensure you pronounce a clear /k/ before /tr/. Finally, avoid a drawn-out 'ee' sound in the first syllable; keep it short: /ɪ/ as in 'kit'.
US: /ɪkˈsɛn.trɪk/ with rhoticity; clear /r/ after the vowel in the second syllable. UK: /ˌekˈsen.trɪk/ (less prominent /r/), non-rhotic speaker may have a shorter /ɜː/ quality in some speakers; stress often remains on the second syllable. AU: similar to US but with flatter vowels and a slightly rounded /ɪ/; the /æ/ in 'sen' can be more centralized. Across accents, the 'trik' ending remains consistently /trɪk/, but pre-tonic vowel length and the realization of /ɪ/ vs /iː/ can vary.
The difficulty centers on the consonant cluster at the end (/trɪk/) and the mid-stress on second syllable, which can cause a rushed or mis-timed release. The 'ec-' prefix often leads to a reduced, quick vowel /ɪ/ before the stressed /ˈsɛn/. Non-native speakers may insert a vowel between /s/ and /n/, or misarticulate the /k/ before /t/ in the /trɪk/ cluster. Mastery comes from sequencing: keep the /t/ release tight after /r/, and avoid pronouncing ‘e’ as ‘ee’.
Yes. In eccentric, the 'c' is hard and followed by 'e', producing the /k/ sound before the /s/ of the second syllable: ec- + cen- + tr ic; the sequence is /k/ + /s/ as part of the /ks/ onset cluster that leads into the stressed syllable. The arching consonant cluster is resolved quickly before the /ɛn/ vowel, so you’ll hear a crisp /k/ release followed by /s/.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced but not heavy; keep stress on /ˈsɛn/. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; avoid drawing out the /r/; keep /ˈsen/ with a shorter vowel. - AU: more centralized vowels; the /ɪ/ often closer to /ə/; keep the /trɪk/ ending crisp, with a shorter /ɪ/. General tip: always aim for a quick, clear /ks/ blend at the onset of the final syllable, and avoid a diphthongization of /ɛ/ in /ˈsɛn/.
The word eccentric comes from the Greek ekkentros, meaning 'out of center' (ek- ‘out’ + kentron ‘center’). It entered Latin as eccentricus, then onto French as excentrique before arriving in English in the 17th century. The original sense emphasized deviation from a center or axis, especially in astronomy and geometry, describing circular motion that was off-center. By the 18th and 19th centuries, it broadened to describe people whose behavior diverged from social norms, retaining the core sense of deviation from a typical center—in personality, style, or logic. Today, eccentric retains both technical (engineery) and figurative (quirky) usage. First known use in English appears in scientific or mathematical treatises before the word shifted into common parlance, where it gained a colorful, sometimes humorous nuance about personal oddities.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Eccentric" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Eccentric"
-ric sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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