3 syllables: Ju, ras, sic. Stress on ras.
juur-AS-ik
/dʒʊˈɹæsɪk/
Jurassic is pronounced juur-AS-ik (/dʒʊˈɹæsɪk/). It has three syllables (Ju-ras-sic), with the stress on "ras". Jurassic is an adjective and noun related to the period of Earth's history between about 201 and 145 million years ago, or to its fossil record and organisms. In common usage, it often appears as a playful or thematic label (e.g., 'Jurassic Park'), or to describe something ancient or prehistoric with a cinematic tone. It also denotes the third period of the Mesozoic era in formal geology contexts.
nounJurassic is an adjective and noun related to the period of Earth's history between about 201 and 145 million years ago, or to its fossil record and organisms. In common usage, it often appears as a playful or thematic label (e.g., 'Jurassic Park'), or to describe something ancient or prehistoric with a cinematic tone. It also denotes the third period of the Mesozoic era in formal geology contexts.
"The museum features a stunning exhibit of Jurassic-era fossils."
"Scientists discovered a new dinosaur species from the Jurassic period."
"The film's thrilling chase scene had a distinctly Jurassic vibe."
Pronounce as ju-RAS-sic with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /dʒʊˈræsɪk/, UK /dʒɜˈræsɪk/, AU /dʒʊˈræsɪk/. Start with a voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/ like 'job', then a short 'u' vowel /ʊ/ or /ɜ/ depending on accent, move to the stressed /ˈræs/ with an open-front vowel /æ/ and a cleft /s/ before /ɪk/.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the first syllable (ju-RAS-sic vs JU-ri-AS-sic), diluting the /r/ and /æ/ to a schwa or a softer vowel, and turning the /s/ into a zibilized /z/ sound in the /sɪk/ ending. Correct by practicing the strong /ˈræs/ nucleus, maintain a clear /s/ before /ɪk/, and keep the initial /dʒ/ sound firm rather than blending into a /j/ or /dj/.
US tends to have /dʒʊˈræsɪk/ with a lighter /ɜ/ analogue in some speakers. UK leans toward /dʒɜˈræsɪk/ with a central or slightly back /ɜː/ vowel; AU follows US pattern but with its own rhotic and vowel duration tendencies. All share the /dʒ/ onset and /ˈræs/ nucleus; the key differences are vowel height and duration of /ɜ/ vs /ʊ/ in the first syllable and whether /r/ is more rhotic (US/AU) or non-rhotic (some UK speakers, though within modern varieties it can be rhotic in many dialects).
The difficulty lies in the two-phoneme onset /dʒ/ plus the /j/ blend in the transition to the stressed /ˈræs/ and the final /ɪk/ cluster. The mid-vowel in the first syllable can vary (/ʊ/ vs /ɜː/), and the /r/ can be strongly rhotic or reduced in some British varieties. Learners should focus on the crisp /dʒ/ start, a clear /ˈræs/ stress block, and a clean /ɪk/ ending.
The accentual peak is on the second syllable: ju-RAS-sic. This is a classic three-syllable word with a trochaic-to-diphthongal feel in rapid speech. Make sure the first syllable is light, the second is strong, and the final -sic is quick but clear. IPA cues: US /dʒʊˈræsɪk/; UK /dʒɜˈræsɪk/.
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Jurassic derives from the Jura Mountains, stretching along the border between France and Switzerland, where early rocks from this geologic period were first studied. The term was coined in the early 19th century by geologists to name the period following the Triassic within the Mesozoic Era. It combines Latin and regional toponyms, with 'Jurassic' ultimately grounded in Latinized forms of the Jura region’s name. The word’s application expanded quickly as paleontological science matured, yielding a precise stratigraphic interval and a classically dramatized cultural association with dinosaurs and expansive ancient landscapes. First used in a scientific context around 1830s–1840s, the term was popularized by popular science and media in the 20th century, especially through educational films and literature about dinosaurs and Earth’s deep-time history. Over time, Jurassic has also entered wider usage as a descriptor for anything old-fashioned or spectacularly ancient, often with a cinematic or adventurous connotation.
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Words that rhyme with "Jurassic"
-tic sounds
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