How to Pronounce Pandemic
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Pandemic Pronunciation
pan-DEM-ik
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
pan
DEM
stress here
ik
3 syllables
What is Pandemic?
An epidemic that has spread across multiple countries or continents, typically affecting a large portion of the world's population. Notable pandemics include the 1918 Spanish influenza, the HIV/AIDS pandemic beginning in the 1980s, and COVID-19 beginning in 2019; pandemics require coordinated international public health responses.
Questions About Pandemic
How do you pronounce 'pandemic'?
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Pandemic is pronounced pan-DEM-ik. Say "pan" (rhymes with "can"), then "DEM" (rhymes with "them"), then "ik" (like the end of "picnic"). The stress falls on the middle syllable: DEM.
What is the stressed syllable in 'pandemic'?
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The stressed syllable is DEM, which is the second syllable of the word. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable and saying PAN-dem-ik instead of pan-DEM-ik—remember that the middle part gets the emphasis.
How many syllables does 'pandemic' have?
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Pandemic has three syllables: pan-DEM-ik. Breaking it into parts like this makes it easier to pronounce correctly and remember where the stress goes.
What do the word parts 'pan' and 'demic' mean?
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The word comes from Greek roots: 'pan' means "all" or "across," and 'demic' comes from 'demos,' which means "people." So pandemic literally means "affecting all people" or "across all people," which is why it describes a disease outbreak that spreads widely across many regions.
What does 'pandemic' mean in simple terms?
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A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across multiple countries or even continents, affecting huge numbers of people. It's different from an epidemic, which stays in one area or region.
What is a related word that shares the same root as 'pandemic'?
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The word 'epidemic' shares a similar root. While epidemic comes from 'epi' (meaning "among") plus 'demos' ("people"), pandemic uses 'pan' ("all") plus 'demos.' An epidemic is smaller and more local, while a pandemic is bigger and spreads across the world.
Can you use 'pandemic' correctly in a sentence?
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Here's an example: "The organization worked to coordinate international responses during the pandemic." The word is used to describe a large-scale disease outbreak that affects multiple countries at the same time.
What is the adjective form of 'pandemic'?
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Pandemic itself works as an adjective, so you can say "pandemic disease" or "pandemic spread." You can also use it as a noun, as in "a pandemic occurred" or "during the pandemic."