Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

parsec

/ˈpɑɹ.sɛk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.95 in modern English

Syllables: par-sec
IPA: /ˈpɑɹ.sɛk/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Syllabic abbreviation of parallax second.

Example Sentences

"Han Solo: Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon? Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi: Should I have? Han Solo: It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. I've outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers mind you, I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you old man."

Etymology

Contraction of parallax second.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpɑɹ.sɛk/
British English: /ˈpɑː.sɛk/

Inflected Forms

parsecs (plural)

Derived Forms

microparsec kiloparsec megaparsec gigaparsec teraparsec petaparsec exaparsec zettaparsec yottaparsec ronnaparsec quettaparsec attoparsec

Phrases

final parsec problem last parsec problem light year

Frequently Paired Words

light year

Synonyms

pc psc second of parallax secpar

Questions

How do you pronounce parsec?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɑɹ.sɛk/.
What does parsec mean?: Syllabic abbreviation of parallax second.
Where does parsec come from?: Contraction of parallax second.

How to pronounce parsec

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