Precipice is a noun referring to a very steep cliff or brink, especially one with danger of falling. It often conveys a sense of imminent risk or a precarious edge. In figurative use, it denotes a critical point at which a decision or action could lead to significant consequences.
"She stood at the precipice of the cliff, gazing into the swirling sea below."
"The country was on the precipice of economic collapse after the sudden tariff changes."
"She felt she was on the precipice of a major breakthrough in her research."
"The debate brought the party to a political precipice, with decisions hanging in the balance."
Precipice comes from the Latin precipicius, meaning 'inclined to fall' or 'of a slope.' It derives from prae- meaning 'before' and caput 'head' in a sense of a slope leading to a headlong fall. In Late Latin, precipicius referred to a sheer cliff face, and through Old French and into English it acquired the specific sense of a dangerous vertical drop. By the 15th century, precipice was used in literal cliff contexts and soon extended metaphorically to describe dangerous situations or thresholds. The word thus preserves a sense of an edge where the risk of falling is immediate, both physically and figuratively, echoing its root imagery of a steep, headlong boundary.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Precipice" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Precipice" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Precipice"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˈprɛsəˌpɪs/ (US) or /ˈprɛsɪpɪs/ (UK/AU). The primary stress is on the first syllable: PRE-si-pis, with a lighter secondary stress on the final syllable in careful speech. Tip: keep the /pr/ cluster tight, then the /ˈprɛs/ as a single unit, followed by a short /ə/ before the /ˌpɪs/. Audio resources: check pronunciation sections in Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries or Forvo.
Common errors: misplacing stress (e.g., PRE-si-pis or pre-SI-pis), missing the /s/ in the middle leading to /ˈprepɪs/ or /ˈprɛpɪs/, and merging syllables into /ˈpre-sə-pəs/ making a lighter finale. Correction: emphasize the middle /s/ as /s/ after /ˈprɛs/, keep the first syllable strong, and articulate the final /pɪs/ clearly rather than cutting it short. Practice with minimal pairs like PRE-sis vs PRE-ci-pis to hear the contrasts.
US typically /ˈprɛsəˌpɪs/ with clear /ə/ vowels and a slightly more pronounced /p/ at the end. UK/AU often maintain /ˈprɛsɪpɪs/, keeping a tighter /ɪ/ before final /pɪs/. Rhoticity doesn’t majorly affect this word, but the vowel quality in the second syllable may shift slightly toward a schwa in US speech. In careful speech, both US and UK/AU preserve the three-syllable rhythm; casual speech may reduce to two syllables in rapid contexts.
Two main challenges: the vowel sequence in the middle and the final /pɪs/ where many English speakers shorten the final consonant or blur it with a /b/ or /t/ sound. The vowel duration in the second syllable varies (schwa vs. short i), which can confuse learners about where the stress lands. Another tricky area is maintaining the /s/ cluster between /s/ and /p/ with crisp articulation. Practice with deliberate slow enunciation to fix the transitions.
Question: Is there a silent letter in Precipice? Answer: No. All letters contribute to the three-syllable pronunciation: /ˈprɛsəˌpɪs/. The word uses standard phonemes without silent letters, but learners often mispronounce the /s/ after the second vowel. Focus on keeping the /s/ sound steady and avoid vowel elision in the middle syllable.
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