English pronunciation · Words Starting with C
Cataclysmic Pronunciation
Cataclysmic is pronounced ka-tuh-KLIZ-mik, IPA /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/.
ka-tuh-KLIZ-mik
US /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/ · UK /ˌkætəˈklɪsmɪk/
Syllables: ka · tuh · KLIZ · mik (4 syllables, stress on syllable 3)
adjective: Sudden, violent and hugely destructive.
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Cataclysmic in a Sentence
- The eruption had a cataclysmic effect on the island's farming.
- Losing the contract was serious but hardly cataclysmic.
- Geologists still argue about what triggered the cataclysmic flood.
Common Mispronunciations of Cataclysmic
Not ka-TA-kliz-mik
Four syllables with the beat third from the front: ka-tuh-KLIZ-mik. The pull towards the second syllable comes from the noun cataclysm, which really does stress it there.
Not ka-tuh-KLIS-mik
The s in the middle is voiced in American English, so it comes out as a z. British speakers often do use the plain s here, and both are accepted.
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