English pronunciation · Words Starting with C
Cynical Pronunciation
Cynical is pronounced SI-ni-kuhl, IPA /ˈsɪnɪkəl/.
SI-ni-kuhl
US /ˈsɪnɪkəl/ · UK /ˈsɪnɪkəl/
Syllables: SI · ni · kuhl (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Believing that people act only out of self-interest, or openly contemptuous of good motives.
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Cynical in a Sentence
- He has become cynical about the whole process.
- That was a cynical piece of marketing.
- She is too young to be this cynical.
Common Mispronunciations of Cynical
Not KY-ni-kuhl
The y is short, the vowel of sit, so the word opens like the noun cynic rather than like cyber.
Not si-NI-kuhl
Three beats, with the opening one carrying the lot. Cynicism keeps the weight in the same place.
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