2 syllables: Spe, cie. Stress on Spe.
SPEE-see
/ˈspiːsi/
Specie is pronounced SPEE-see (/ˈspiːsi/). It has two syllables (Spe-cie), with the stress on "Spe". Specie is a historical term for money in the form of coins, as opposed to paper currency. It can also mean a taxonomic category above subspecies, though in modern usage it most commonly refers to coin money, especially in contexts of monetary history or numismatics. The word conveys a formal, antiquated sense and appears in scholarly writing or discussions of economics and natural history.
nounSpecie is a historical term for money in the form of coins, as opposed to paper currency. It can also mean a taxonomic category above subspecies, though in modern usage it most commonly refers to coin money, especially in contexts of monetary history or numismatics. The word conveys a formal, antiquated sense and appears in scholarly writing or discussions of economics and natural history.
- You might default to SPĔ-see (/ˈspɛsi/) by overemphasizing the first syllable; correct by placing primary stress on the second syllable: spih-SEE. - Another mistake is shortening the final vowel to a short /i/ or /ɪ/, resulting in /spɪˈsi/ or /spɪˈsiː/ with unclear length. Ensure you sustain the /iː/ to convey the long vowel. - Some learners wobble the /sp/ cluster into a slower onset; aim for a precise onset: /sp/ with a quick release, then /ɪ/ then /siː/.
How to Pronounce Specie
"In 18th-century markets, specie flow was crucial for international trade."
"Collectors study the coins and the inscriptions on pre-1800 specie."
"The economist contrasted specie with fiat currency in his lecture."
Pronounce as spih-SEE. The primary stress is on the second syllable: /spɪˈsiː/. Start with an initial short 'i' as in 'sip,' then glide into a long 'ee' as in 'see.' The final 'e' is pronounced, giving the long 'ee' vowel. IPA: /spɪˈsiː/. Mouth position: lips neutral-to-smiling, tip of tongue near the lower front teeth for the initial /sp/ blend, then a high front tongue for /iː/.
Common mistakes include placing the stress on the first syllable (SPĔ-see) or shortening the second syllable to /si/ rather than /siː/. Some learners pronounce the final vowel as a short /ɪ/ or /i/, which makes it sound like ‘speci’ rather than ‘specie.’ Correction: keep primary stress on the second syllable and use a clear long /iː/ in the second syllable: /spɪˈsiː/.
US/UK/AU share /spɪˈsiː/, with the main variation being vowel quality and rhoticity. US and UK Rp generally emphasize the second syllable with a long /iː/; AU tends to be non-rhotic and may have slightly shorter vowel duration, with the /iː/ often closer to /iː/ but subtly closer to /ɪː/. All maintain the /sp/ onset and final /siː/ nucleus, but vowel realisation and vowel length can vary.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable structure with a high-stress nucleus on the second syllable and the precise long /iː/ vowel. Non-native speakers often misplace the stress on the first syllable or shorten the second vowel, leading to /ˈspɪsi/ or /spɪˈsi/ mispronunciations. Keeping /spɪˈsiː/ with a clearly elongated final vowel aids intelligibility.
Is the final 'e' pronounced as a long /iː/ or silent in some accents? In standard English pronunciation, the final 'e' is pronounced as /iː/, making the second syllable /siː/. Some dialects may reduce the final vowel slightly toward /i/ or shorten it in rapid speech, but the canonical pronunciation used in dictionaries remains /spɪˈsiː/.
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- US: rhotic, maintain precise vowel quality; ensure the /ɪ/ is lax but clearly followed by /siː/. - UK: non-rhotic; focus on shortening rhoticity in the coda and keep /siː/ long with crisp release. - AU: similar to US/UK but with a slightly tighter jaw and more centralized vowel; keep the second syllable long /iː/ with clear lip rounding and open jaw on /sp/.
Specie derives from the Italian word specie meaning 'appearance, kind, sort' and in economic history it shifted to denote money in the form of metal coins. The English adoption traces to the 15th–16th centuries, aligning with Italian mercantile usage of pecunia and specie to describe a kind or form of something, particularly money with intrinsic metal value. By the 17th and 18th centuries, specie specifically referred to coin money as opposed to paper, especially in the context of trade with the colonies, where “specie” described the metal currency that could be shipped or hoarded. In American colonial writings, specie was a standard monetary unit tied to gold and silver coins, central to the specie flow doctrine in the post-revolution era. The term gradually entered scholarly and economic discourse, preserving its antiquated aura, and remains common in historical discussions, numismatics, and some legal texts when describing coin-based currency or gentry-era monetary practices. First known use in English appears in the 17th century, with roots tied to Italian banking and mercantile vocabulary, reflecting the broader European influence on money terminology. Today, it survives primarily in historical, academic, and numismatic contexts, often as a reminder of metallic standards and coin-based economies.
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Words that rhyme with "Specie"
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