illiteracy
/ɪˈlɪtərəsi/
Syllables il·lit·er·a·cy
Stress il-LIT-er-a-cy
Phonics Breakdown
il
/ɪl/
short i
lit
/lɪt/
short i
er
/tər/
schwa
a
/ə/
schwa
cy
/si/
y vowel i
Meaning
the inability to read or write
Sound Reference
💡
il=/ɪl/(ill) + lit=/lɪt/(little) + er=/tər/(teacher) + a=/ə/(about) + cy=/si/(city)
Example
Illiteracy remains a serious problem in some rural areas.