The Sapphic Sanctuary
How do you pronounce sapphic?
Sapphic is pronounced SAF-ik. It has two syllables, a short a like in cat, and the stress on the first syllable. In dictionary notation that is /ˈsæfɪk/. The related noun sapphism is said SAF-iz-uhm.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Both the UK and US pronunciations are the same here: /ˈsæfɪk/, which sounds like SAF-ik (Cambridge Dictionary). If it helps, it rhymes closely with traffic.
The first syllable takes the stress, and the a is short, not drawn out. The name Sappho behind it is said SAF-oh. Read more about where the word sapphic comes from.