English pronunciation · Words Starting with C
Catastrophe Pronunciation
Catastrophe is pronounced kuh-TA-struh-fee, IPA /kəˈtæstrəfi/.
kuh-TA-struh-fee
US /kəˈtæstrəfi/ · UK /kəˈtæstrəfi/
Syllables: kuh · TA · struh · fee (4 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
noun: A sudden disaster that causes great damage or suffering.
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Catastrophe in a Sentence
- The flood was a catastrophe for farms along the whole valley.
- What began as a small error turned into a catastrophe by Friday.
- He has a gift for treating minor setbacks as catastrophes.
Common Mispronunciations of Catastrophe
Not KA-tuh-strohf
Four beats, and the last of them is a clear fee. This word does not end like telegraph or like strophe.
Not ka-tuh-STROH-fee
The peak sits on the second beat, TA, and everything after it coasts downhill.
Tip: Say the adjective next to it and the shift is obvious: kuh-TA-struh-fee against ka-tuh-STRAH-fik.
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