Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious looks difficult, but it is much easier to say when you break it into smaller parts.
Pronounce it like this:
soo-per-cal-ih-fraj-ih-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-ih-DOH-shus
The strongest emphasis falls on DOH near the end.
Break It Into Parts
Divide the word into five sections:
Super | cali | fragilistic | expiali | docious
Here is how each part sounds:
- Super: soo-per
- Cali: cal-ih
- Fragilistic: fraj-ih-lis-tik
- Expiali: ek-spee-al-ih
- Docious: DOH-shus
Now connect them:
soo-per | cal-ih | fraj-ih-lis-tik | ek-spee-al-ih | DOH-shus
Start slowly, then say the sections together without pausing.
An Easier Practice Method
Begin with the first part:
soo-per-cal-ih
Add the middle:
soo-per-cal-ih-fraj-ih-lis-tik
Then say the full word:
soo-per-cal-ih-fraj-ih-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-ih-DOH-shus
You can also remember it as three larger groups:
super-cali | fragilistic | expiali-docious
This makes the rhythm easier to follow.
Common Pronunciation Mistakes
The middle of the word is where most people get stuck.
Say fragilistic as:
fraj-ih-lis-tik
Say expiali as:
ek-spee-al-ih
The ending docious sounds like:
DOH-shus
It should not be pronounced “doh-see-us.”
How Many Syllables Are There?
The word is commonly pronounced with 14 syllables:
soo | per | cal | ih | fraj | ih | lis | tik | ek | spee | al | ih | DOH | shus
Tapping once for each syllable can help you keep the sounds in the correct order.
What Does the Word Mean?
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a playful word used to describe something wonderful, impressive, or unusually good.
It became famous through the 1964 Disney movie Mary Poppins and the song of the same name.
For example:
“The performance was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
The simplest way to learn the pronunciation is to remember these five chunks:
Super + cali + fragilistic + expiali + docious
