Proper Pronunciation Guide
quixotic
[kwɪk̚ 
sɑ 
ək]
Tips:
- Pronounce the letters “qu” as /kw/.
- Pronounce the letter “x” as /ks/; however, stop-but-do-not-explode the letter “k” at the end of the first syllable—/k̚/—and release the air on the following consonant /s/, which begins the second syllable.
- Pronounce the lettere “o” as /a/—like the vowel in the word “stop”—and stress it.
- Pronounce the letteer “t” as a lightly tapped /d/ in quick speech.
Practice Sentence:
| He set out on a quixotic journey to the North Pole. |
Definition:
(adjective) Impractical, foolish, romantic, visionary.
Notes:
This word evolved from the fictional Spanish character Don Quixote [kiho ti], who was a naive, romantic character who “tilted at windmills” and quested after the impossible. So, quixotic means behaving like Don Quixote.