/ˈpænɪk/
Say it backPanic is a sudden, overpowering feeling of fear or anxiety that prompts urgent, often panicky, reactions. It can describe both an emotional state and a reaction to danger, sometimes causing impaired judgment or hasty behavior. In everyday use, it often refers to a temporary spike of fear rather than a sustained mental health condition.
"Her team froze in panic when the alarm rang, unsure of what to do next."
"News of the flood caused widespread panic among residents trying to flee the area."
"The pilot remained calm despite the system failure, avoiding panic in the cockpit."
Pronounce as /ˈpæ.nɪk/ in both US and UK English, with primary stress on the first syllable. Start with a open front lax vowel like 'pat' but shorter, then a short schwa-like vowel for the second syllable, ending with a crisp alveolar stop 'k'. Your mouth starts wide for /æ/, then relaxes to /ɪ/ before the /k/. Listen for a clean stop and minimal vowel reduction in careful speech. Audio reference: Pronounce or Forvo entry for 'panic' will mirror /ˈpæ.nɪk/ across accents.
Common errors: (1) Slurring the second syllable, saying /ˈpeɪ.nɪk/ by overemphasizing the first vowel; correct it to /ˈpæ.nɪk/. (2) Replacing /æ/ with /aɪ/ in the first syllable, sounding like 'pan-ick' instead of 'pan-ik'; correct by keeping a short open /æ/. (3) Final consonant voice loss or weakening the /k/; ensure a clear voiceless stop release at the end. Practice with careful isolation of each phoneme and then blend.
In US, UK, and AU, the word is /ˈpæ.nɪk/. The primary stress remains on the first syllable in all three. The vowel in the first syllable is a short open /æ/ in all. In some UK regional accents, a more rounded /ɒ/ or reduced /æ/ may appear in rapid speech, but standard RP retains /æ/. The rhotic vs non-rhotic distinction affects only following clusters; since panic ends with /k/, no rhotic vowel follows. Overall, /ˈpæ.nɪk/ is stable, with minor vowel quality variance across accents.
The difficulty lies in maintaining short, crisp vowels in unstressed syllables while keeping a clear final /k/. The sequence /æ.nɪk/ requires quick, precise tongue position: /æ/ with a lowered jaw, /n/ with a light contact of the tongue behind the upper teeth, /ɪ/ a near-close front lax vowel, and a final /k/ a strong voiceless velar stop. Coarticulation across the syllables can blur these sounds if you hurry. Focus on precise mouth shapes and a clean stop release.
Is the 'panic' syllable count ever heard as two vowels in rapid speech? Answer: No. In careful speech it remains two clear syllables /ˈpæ.nɪk/. In fast or connected speech some speakers may reduce to a syllabic rhythm that feels shorter, but the underlying phonemes remain /æ/ then /n/ then /ɪ/ before /k/. The key is to avoid merging /æ/ and /nɪ/ into a single indistinct vowel cluster. IPA reminder: /ˈpæ.nɪk/.
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Panic comes from the Late Latin panicus, ultimately from Greek panikos, meaning ’of Pan’ or ’pertaining to Pan,’ the god of the wild, rustic music and shepherds. The term in English broadened to terror or sudden fear, influenced by the myth that Pan’s sudden shout could cause sudden fear in hunters and travelers. The first known uses appear in the 16th-17th centuries in moral or rhetorical contexts describing fear-induced reactions. By the 19th century, panic was used as a psychological term to describe episodes of abrupt fear or irrational behavior. Over time, the word has retained a fairly literal sense of intense fear without necessarily implying clinical anxiety, though it can be used in medical or behavioral discussions when referring to panic attacks or panicky responses in crisis situations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "panic" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "panic" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "panic"
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