Syllables in the word mosaic?

[shumway]

I say the word mosaic has two syllables. My sister and every other person she has surveyed says it has three. What do you think?

Definitely three. Mo-sa-ic.

Three. How could you think otherwise?

Hmm interesting. I would lean towards 3 though 2 sounds passable.

Three. The OED agrees, I'm afraid! I have certainly heard people say it with 2 though.

3

Three. Which one are you skipping?

1. How do you say it with two? Mo-sake?

Three: moe-zay-ick, with the emphasis on the zay.

It's like other Greek-rooted words ending 'oic'. 'Heroic' is three syllables... not 'he-roke'. 'Stoic'... not 'stoke'.

'Three. Which one are you skipping?'

she's not going to be skipping one is she? she's going to be blending two together!

And for waht it's worth I agree with you that it should be pronounced Mo-zayk

3 mo-sa-ic

Definitely 3.

Uh oh, I would have said two. Mo-sake.

Now, I am saying three!

Yes I say it mo-zayk. Mo-zay-ik just sounds weird!

2
Mo saic
Sounds like mo zake.

Definitely 3 here.

moh-zay-yik, emphasis on the zay.

I say it with 3

3 here!

I've never heard it pronounced with anything other than 3 syllables. Those that only say it with 2, where are you from? Just wondering if it is a regional thing.

Mo- zake. But hte zake is a dipthong so the syllable has 2 sounds.

Mo-zayk for me, more like 2 syllables than 3, but the second one quite drawn out iyswim.

jen oop north, Robin Hood country!

3