soo-pur-kahn-duhk-TIV-uh-tee
/ˌsupɚˌkɑˌndʌˈktɪvəti/
superconductivity is pronounced soo-pur-kahn-duhk-TIV-uh-tee (/ˌsupɚˌkɑˌndʌˈktɪvəti/). Superconductivity is the phenomenon where certain materials conduct electricity with zero resistance below a critical temperature. It also expels magnetic fields (the Meissner effect). This property enables highly efficient, lossless electrical transmission and powerful electromagnets, with wide-ranging applications in science and technology.
Superconductivity is the phenomenon where certain materials conduct electricity with zero resistance below a critical temperature. It also expels magnetic fields (the Meissner effect). This property enables highly efficient, lossless electrical transmission and powerful electromagnets, with wide-ranging applications in science and technology.
- You may overemphasize the final -ity, making it tɪ-ə-ti; instead keep -vi-ty as /ˈvɪti/ with a quick, unstressed -i- before -ty. - Duct- can be mispronounced as /dʌkt/ or /dəkt/; use a clear /dʌkt/ with a short schwa preceding the /t/; avoid turning it into /dɪkt/ or /duː/ clusters. - Stress misplacement: place primary stress on -duc- in some attempts; correct by marking stress on -tiː/ portion of the word in most technical uses.
"Researchers study superconductivity to develop more efficient power grids."
"The MRI machine relies on superconductivity to create strong, stable magnetic fields."
"Scientists are exploring room-temperature superconductors to revolutionize energy systems."
You break it as su-per-con-duc-tiv-i-ty with primary stress on -duc- (the fourth syllable): /ˌsuːpərˌkɒndəˈktiːvɪti/ (US) or /ˌsjuːpəˌkɒndʌkˈtɪvɪti/ (UK). Start with /ˌsuːpər/ then /ˌkɒndə/ then /ˈktiːvɪti/. Pay attention to the cluster -duct- and keep vowels short in the middle syllables. Audio examples can be matched to these IPA forms on Pronounce or Forvo.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the wrong syllable (say su-PER-con-ductivity), pronouncing -duct- as /dʌkt/ or /dɪkt/ instead of /dəkt/; and running the two vowels in -ti-ty as separate long vowels rather than a quick schwa-plus-tie sequence. Correct by stressing the /ˈktiː/ segment and keeping /n/ as a clear consonant between syllables. Use a light, quick syllable separation rather than a heavy multisyllabic drawl.
US: /ˌsuːpərˌkɒndəˈktiːvɪti/ with rhotic r and a clearer /ɒ/ in /kɒn-/. UK: /ˌsjuːpəˌkɒndəˈktiːvɪti/ may show non-rhoticity, subtler /ɒ/ quality, and shorter /ə/ sounds. AU: similar to UK but with more centralized /ə/ and a tendency toward broader vowels in some regions. Across accents, the biggest shifts are vowel quality in /ɒ/ vs /ɒə/ and the rhoticism; consonant cluster /ndj/ becomes /nd/ or /n/ in rapid speech.
It's long, multisyllabic, and contains a tricky /ˌsuːpər/ onset followed by /ˌkɒndə/ and a stressed /ˈktiːvɪti/ segment. The sequence /ndə/ can blur into /ndə/ and the /tiː/ can become a separate syllable if you’re not careful. Break it into three chunks: su-per-con-duct, then -ivity, and practice linking the consonant cluster smoothly with the vowel transitions.
No. All letters are pronounced in standard pronunciations: the syllables align with pronounced vowels in -super-, -con-, -duc-, -ti-, -vi- and -ty. The challenge is not silent letters but maintaining correct syllable stress and rhythm.”
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US: keep rhoticity; UK/AU: less rhotic in careful readings; note vowel lengths: /ɒ/ in /kɒn/ is slightly shorter in US; UK may have closer /ɒ/ or even /ɔː/ in some speakers. Practice with IPA references; emphasize non-rhoticity in UK when at advanced levels, and maintain full rhotics in US. For /ˈktiːvɪti/ regionally variable, but aim for a crisp /ktiː/ rather than a long /ktiːvi/; use a light tongue-root retraction for smoother /k-/ onset.
Superconductivity derives from three morphemes: super- (above, beyond), conduct (to transmit), and -ivity (a noun-forming suffix). The term was coined in the early 20th century to describe the dramatic drop in electrical resistance observed in certain materials when cooled below a critical temperature. The foundational discovery was made by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911, who observed that mercury’s resistance abruptly vanished at liquid helium temperatures, inaugurating the study of superconductivity. The concept built on earlier work in electrical conduction and cryogenic physics, with researchers gradually identifying class-specific superconductors (type I and II) and mechanisms like Cooper pairing in conventional superconductors (BCS theory) in the 1950s. In later decades, high-temperature superconductivity was discovered (cuprates in 1986), expanding the field beyond low-temperature cryogenics. Today, superconductivity serves as a cornerstone of quantum materials research and advanced engineering, including quantum computing elements and large-scale magnetic applications. The terminology reflects both the extraordinary (super-) nature of the phenomenon and its fundamental property—perfect transmission of charge under idealized conditions—while remaining rooted in the broader vocabulary of conduction and materials science.
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Words that rhyme with "superconductivity"
-ity sounds
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