How to pronounce psychology in American English
Americans pronounce psychology as sahy-KAH-luh-jee (/saɪˈkɑlədʒi/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.
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Why "psychology" sounds like sahy·KAH·luh·jee.
Between "" and "", a brief "" glide bridges the two vowels for smooth flow. This is called the Vowel-to-Vowel Linking, a tiny act of laziness that makes the rhythm feel right. It comes out as sahy·KAH·luh·jee.
Hear "psychology" in the wild.
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Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch KAH — keep everything else short and quick.
Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.
Don't pronounce the second syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.
Questions people ask about this.
How is "psychology" stressed in American English?
Why does the third syllable in "psychology" reduce to "uh"?
Is the American pronunciation of "psychology" different from British English?
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