Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-ical

/ɪkəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.13 in modern English

Syllables
-i-cal
IPA
/ɪkəl/
6
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Used to form adjectives from nouns with the meaning "of or pertaining to"; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Greek or Latin origin, but used with other words also.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ic Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Middle English -ical English -ical From Middle English -ical, a combination of -ic from Old French -ique, from Latin -icus, related to Ancient Greek suffix Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), plus -al from Latin adjective suffix -alis, or Old French -el. By surface analysis, -ic + -al.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

more -ical (comparative) most -ical (superlative)

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Questions

How do you pronounce -ical?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪkəl/.
What does -ical mean?
Used to form adjectives from nouns with the meaning "of or pertaining to"; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Greek or Latin origin, but used with other words also.
Where does -ical come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce -ical

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “-ical”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪkəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “-ical”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “-ical” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.