2 syllables: Pre, cise. Stress on cise.
pris-EYES
/pɹɪˈsaɪs/
Precise is pronounced pris-EYES (/pɹɪˈsaɪs/). It has two syllables (Pre-cise), with the stress on "cise". Precise is an adjective meaning exact and accurate, leaving no room for error or doubt. It often describes careful measurement, detailed description, or exact replication, implying clarity and specificity. The term conveys a high level of rigor or neatness in execution or statement.
adjectivePrecise is an adjective meaning exact and accurate, leaving no room for error or doubt. It often describes careful measurement, detailed description, or exact replication, implying clarity and specificity. The term conveys a high level of rigor or neatness in execution or statement.
"She gave precise instructions on how to assemble the model kit."
"The accountant’s precise calculations revealed a small but important discrepancy."
"During the experiment, you must measure the solution with precise, consistent volumes."
Pronounce it as /prɪˈsaɪs/. The first syllable is a quick 'prih' with a short, relaxed vowel; the second syllable is stressed: 'sighs' without the silent e, so it sounds like 'sice' but with the 'ai' diphthong. The mouth starts with the lips slightly pursed, the tongue high and forward for the /ɪ/ and then glides to /aɪ/ for the stressed vowel. End with an /s/.
Common errors include turning the /ɪ/ into a full /iː/ as in 'see,' producing /ˈprisiːs/ rather than /prɪˈsaɪs/, and misplacing stress by saying /prɪˈseɪs/ or /ˈprisɪs/. Another error is delaying the /s/ into a /z/ or adding an extra syllable. Correction: keep the first syllable short /prɪ/ and stress the second syllable /ˈsaɪs/, ending crisply with /s/.
In US English, stress is on the second syllable: /prɪˈsaɪs/. In UK English, the rhythm is similar, but vowel quality is crisper: /ˈpriːs/ or /ˈpräɪs/? The standard is /prɪˈsaɪs/ with short first vowel and long /aɪ/ in the second. Australian English mirrors US patterns but with less vowel length distinction and a slightly flatter /ɪ/ in the first vowel. Overall, rhoticity doesn’t affect this word as there is no /r/ after the vowel.
The challenge lies in the /ɪ/ to /aɪ/ diphthong shift in the stressed syllable and maintaining a clean, unvoiced final /s/. Many learners neutralize /ɪ/ toward /iː/ and shorten /aɪ/ or misplace the stress, saying /ˈprɪs/ or /prɪˈsiːz/. Focus on the diphthong /aɪ/ and keep the final /s/ crisp, not voiced. Practice by isolating the /ɪ/ then gliding to /aɪ/.
No, 'Precise' has no silent letters. Every letter contributes to the pronunciation: /p/ initial, /r/ following, /ɪ/ vowel, /ˈsaɪ/ diphthong stress, and final /s/. Some learners expect a silent 'e,' but English here pronounces both vowels clearly, with the /ɪ/ and /aɪ/ forming the diphthong.
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Precise comes from the Latin verb prae-sīpēre, combining prae- meaning ‘before’ or ‘in front (of)’ with sīpere, ‘to take, seize, grasp,’ which evolved into the Latin prae cīpere ‘to seize beforehand.’ Through Old French precis, then Middle French précis, the term entered English with the sense of being cut or cut exactly, as an outline or abstract. By the 16th century, precise began to be used in mathematical and scientific contexts to denote exactness, derivating further into general use for descriptions, measurements, and statements that are exact and definite. The word retains the root notion of “taken precisely” or “taken beforehand” to emphasize exactitude and clarity in wording or action. Over time, its usage broadened from technical fields to everyday language, but the core idea—unambiguous accuracy—remains central. The first known English uses appear in early modern scientific texts and legal writings that emphasized precision in measurement and description, cementing its association with rigor and meticulousness.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Precise" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Precise"
-ice sounds
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