English pronunciation · Words Starting with H

Hierarchy Pronunciation

Hierarchy is pronounced HY-er-ahr-kee, IPA /ˈhaɪˌrɑrki/.

HY-er-ahr-kee

US /ˈhaɪˌrɑrki/  ·  UK /ˈhaɪərɑːki/

Syllables: HY · er · ahr · kee (4 syllables, stress on syllable 1)

noun: A system in which people or things are ranked one above another.

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Hierarchy in a Sentence

  • The company flattened its hierarchy last year.
  • There is an unspoken hierarchy in the kitchen.
  • He drew the hierarchy as a simple tree.

Common Mispronunciations of Hierarchy

Not HY-rar-kee

Four syllables, and the er after HY is often lost in fast speech. Sounding it keeps the word from collapsing into three.

Not hy-uh-RAR-chee

The ch is a hard k, as in monarchy and anarchy. The beat also stays firmly at the front.

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