English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Atom Pronunciation
Atom is pronounced A-tuhm, IPA /ˈætəm/.
A-tuhm
US /ˈætəm/ · UK /ˈætəm/
Syllables: A · tuhm (2 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
noun: The smallest unit of a chemical element, made of a nucleus with electrons around it.
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Atom in a Sentence
- A carbon atom has six protons.
- There is not an atom of truth in the story.
- Splitting the atom took most of the 1930s.
Common Mispronunciations of Atom
Not AY-tuhm
Clip the opening to the a of cat, the way add and apple have it. A long ay there belongs to Adam, a name this word is often mistaken for.
Not uh-TOM
Front beat, and the second syllable shrinks to a faint tuhm with no o in it. End stress makes it sound like a surname from the Middle East.
Tip: Atomic moves the punch to the middle and changes the first vowel to a schwa, uh-TAH-mik, so the pair do not rhyme at all.
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