Hi, I'm Alex 👋
This is one of my Tackle Tricky Words shorts. Watch it, repeat after Luke three times, and then try the activities below.
Hierarchy is a nightmare to spell and to say. 😅 But once you know where the stress goes, you’ll never hesitate again. In British English it’s /ˈhaɪərɑːki/: HIGH-uh-rah-kee, with the stress on the first syllable and no R sound at the end of the syllables.
A hierarchy is a system where people or things are arranged by rank or importance: the company hierarchy, a hierarchy of needs.
▶️ Watch and read along
Hierarchy
- Alex: Most people pronounce this word <mark>wrong</mark>.
- Alex: Do you watch and learn from Luke Thompson?
- Luke: <mark>Hierarchy</mark>. Hierarchy.
- Alex: Hierarchy. <mark>Three parts</mark>, which rhyme with…
- Alex: …hierarchy. Follow for more tips!
📖 Say it in three parts
- HIGH: like the word high. This part is stressed.
- uh-RAH: a quick schwa, then the long British /ɑː/ of car (no R sound).
- kee: CH sounds like K, as in chemistry and monarchy.
- All together: HIGH-uh-rah-kee. Clap on the first syllable!
🃏 Words from this episode
- hierarchy: a system where people or things are ranked by importance. /ˈhaɪərɑːki/
- hierarchical: organised in levels or ranks. Stress moves: hi-e-RAR-chi-cal
- monarchy: a country ruled by a king or queen. Same -archy ending: MON-uh-kee
- CH = /k/: in words from Greek, CH often sounds like K: hierarchy, chemistry, character
🔽 Exercise 1: Stress and sounds
- In <b>hierarchy</b>, the stress is on the ___ syllable.
- The CH in <b>hierarchy</b> sounds like ___.
- In southern British English, do you pronounce the R in “-rar-”?
- In <b>hierarchical</b>, the stress moves to ___.
🔗 Exercise 2: Same ending, same sound
- hierarchy
- monarchy
- anarchy
- chemistry
✍️ Exercise 3: Complete the sentences
- “Most people pronounce this word ___.”
- “Three ___, which rhyme with hierarchy.”
- “Follow for more ___.”
- “She’s near the top of the company ___.”
🔤 More tricky words
- How to pronounce QUEUE
- How to pronounce COMFORTABLE
- Though, through, thorough, thought, throughout
- How to pronounce REQUIEM
See them all on Tackle Tricky Words.
Say it three times: HIGH-uh-rah-kee. Got it? Which word should I break down next? Tell me in the comments on YouTube! 🇬🇧
Alex