catastrophic

/ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk/

Syllables cat·a·stroph·ic

Stress cat-a-STROPH-ic

Phonics Breakdown

cat

/kæt/

short a

a

/ə/

schwa

stroph

/strɒf/

short o

ic

/ɪk/

suffix ic

Meaning

causing sudden and very great harm or damage; disastrous

Sound Reference

💡

cat=/kæt/(cat) + a=/ə/(about) + stroph=/strɒf/(strophe) + ic=/ɪk/(basic)

Example

The earthquake had a catastrophic impact on the city.