D&D 5E How to pronounce Artificer

[Charlaquin]

For me, emphasis on the second syllable... ar-TIFF-i-cer. The same way the emphasis is on the second syllable in 'pho-TOG-gra-fir' (photographer) 'or 'gee-ALL-o-gist' (geologist).

Most four syllable words of this sort-- occupations or the people who perform those occupations-- always seem to put the rising emphasis on the second syllable:

Biographer
Geometry
Psychology
Optometrist
Etcetera

If it's three syllables then it falls on the first (CHEM-istry, DENT-istry) and five syllables falls on the first & third (OPH-thal-MOL-o-gist, AR-chae-OL-o-gy).

Hmm. That is pretty persuasive.

 

[pogre]

I learned I have been pronouncing artifice incorrectly. Not that I use the word a lot. Always good to learn!

 

[see]

The Google result for "artificer pronunciation" puts the primary stress on the first syllable and secondary stress on the third.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

For me, emphasis on the second syllable... ar-TIFF-i-cer. The same way the emphasis is on the second syllable in 'pho-TOG-gra-fir' (photographer) 'or 'gee-ALL-o-gist' (geologist).

Most four syllable words of this sort-- occupations or the people who perform those occupations-- always seem to put the rising emphasis on the second syllable:

Biographer
Geometry
Psychology
Optometrist
Etcetera

If it's three syllables then it falls on the first (CHEM-istry, DENT-istry) and five syllables falls on the first & third (OPH-thal-MOL-o-gist, AR-chae-OL-o-gy).

Cool House Rule. Maybe some future edition of English will standardize it.

 

[Bacon Bits]

For me, emphasis on the second syllable... ar-TIFF-i-cer. The same way the emphasis is on the second syllable in 'pho-TOG-gra-fir' (photographer) 'or 'gee-ALL-o-gist' (geologist).

Most four syllable words of this sort-- occupations or the people who perform those occupations-- always seem to put the rising emphasis on the second syllable:

Biographer
Geometry
Psychology
Optometrist
Etcetera

If it's three syllables then it falls on the first (CHEM-istry, DENT-istry) and five syllables falls on the first & third (OPH-thal-MOL-o-gist, AR-chae-OL-o-gy).

It's not related to professions. It's just what happens when you add syllables. They sometimes need to shift where you'd otherwise be forced to mumble, and when you get to four syllables that happens a lot.

Library --> Librarian. Emphasis changes from first syllable LAHY-brair-ee to the second syllable because LAHY-brair-ee-uhn either mumbles or sounds like two words.

But there are still plenty of words that don't fit the pattern because their syllables stand out just fine:

Fabricate --> Fabricator. Emphasis remains on the first syllable.
Navigate --> Navigator. Remains first.
Demonstrate --> Demonstrator. First.
Comentate --> Commentator. First.
Intercept --> Interceptor. First or third to third.

Electric --> Electrician. Second to third.
Politic --> Politician. First to third.
Statistic --> Statistician. Second to third.

The pattern you've really discovered is that the -ist suffix tends to change the emphasized syllable to second for four syllable words. The -cian suffix tends to move emphasis to the third.

But the word isn't "artificist". It's "artificer". The -or and -er suffix don't do what -ist does.

The dictionary is usually based on usage, so you can generally be certain that even if you’ve never heard the dictionary pronunciation, other people very much have.

The weird pronunciation in the dictionary is probably because the word is basically archaic at this point. Indeed, some dictionaries label it so. Seriously, if you Google the word nearly all of your hits will be about TTRPG classes (and most of those 5e D&D). A very slim fraction will be about the (chiefly British) military appointment. The word basically isn't used.

 

[tetrasodium]

Art. Like artwork
if like if you say it right
ice like ice cubes
er like budwiser
Art-if-ice-r.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Every dictionary I've ever looked at says "ar-TIFF-uh-sir." Same emphasis as "photographer" or "psionicist." Or "altimeter" and "multimeter" (and "kilometer" and "odometer"…).

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Every dictionary I've ever looked at says "ar-TIFF-uh-sir." Same emphasis as "photographer" or "psionicist." Or "altimeter" and "multimeter."

I have never once called or heard called a multi-meter a mul-TIMM-uh-tur.

 

[el-remmen]

Wait, so do you pronounce artifice sound like “art if ice”?

Yes.

Art-eh-fice

 

[teitan]

None of the above.

ART-uh-fiss-ur

^^^

Technically, rooted in latin Arteefeecer because Latin is Ah, Ey, Ee, OH, Oo with the vowels and Artifice is a latin root from artificium, artifeeceeum. But modern pronunciation is:

and a link to Merriam Webster:

Definition of ARTIFICER

a skilled or artistic worker or craftsman; one that makes or contrives : deviser… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com