Specificity

- Pronounce as spə-SIF-i-si-tee. Primary stress on the third syllable: /spəˌsɪfɪˈsɪti/ in US; UK carries /spəˈsɪfɪsɪti/ with slightly stronger first syllable stress, keeping the -fɪs- cluster clear. Tip: keep /f/ and /s/ together without adding extra vowel between s and i. Mouth: start with a light schWA, then burst into the “SIF” = lips neutral, tongue bunched behind upper teeth for /s/ and /f/; finish with /ti/ as a crisp “tee.” Practice saying the three loud syllables quickly before the final “tee” to anchor the rhythm.

Common errors: misplacing the primary stress or flattening the medial syllables. 1) Stressing: say /spɪ-SIF-i-SIH-tee/ with uneven weight; correct by stressing the third syllable: /spəˌsɪfɪˈsɪti/. 2) Vowel reduction: reducing /ə/ too aggressively in the first syllable, making it unclear; aim for a quick schwa but keep it perceptible. 3) Blurring /f/ and /s/: transition between /f/ and /s/ should be smooth; avoid inserting extra vowels. 4) Final -ity: pronounce /ti/ clearly, not /ti·ɪ/ or /ti/ as a separate stuttered syllable. 5) English rhoticity isn’t relevant for this word, but non-native speakers may add an extra /ɪ/ before the final /ti/; avoid that.

US: /spəˌsɪfɪˈsɪti/ with a schwa in the first syllable and strong final -ity; non-rhoticity is not relevant here. UK: /spɪˈsɪfɪsɪti/ or /spəˈsɪfɪsɪti/ with slightly more fronted vowels; final -ity remains /ˈɪti/. AU: similar to UK; often with flatter vowels and slightly sharper consonants; ensure /sɪ/ sequences are crisp. Regardless, maintain the three central schwa-friendly segments and the high-velocity final /ti/. Remember: stress tends to fall on the penultimate or antepenultimate depending on speaker; in formal contexts you’ll hear /spəˈsɪfɪsɪti/ as a common baseline.

The difficulty comes from juggling three consecutive syllables with two short i- vowels and a final /ti/. The medial cluster /fɪs/ can blur if not separated clearly; students often run the /s/ into the next /ɪ/ causing /fɪsi/ to blur. Focus on articulating /f/ + /ɪ/ briefly, then isolate /si/ as a crisp onset for the -sit- syllable. Practice by saying /fɪ sɪ/ in slow motion while keeping the mouth positions consistent, then speed up. The final /ti/ should be a clean, voiceless alveolar stop; avoid adding an extra vowel between /t/ and /i/.

The word hides a base you might not expect: specificity hinges on the root ‘specific’ plus the abstract-noun suffix -ity, producing a word with a non-intuitive stress pattern for some learners: the stress can move depending on whether you parse it as three or four syllables in fast speech. In careful speech, you’ll hear /spəˌsɪfɪˈsɪti/, but in rapid dialogue, it can compress toward /spəˈsɪfɪsɪti/ with less audible mid vowels. Remember the final -ity is a stable -ti pronounced as /ti/.