There are three syllables: crit-i-cal The stress is on the first syllable: CRIT-i-cal The vowel sound in the final syllable is a short shwa /k(ə)l/ In phonemic script, the word is written like this: /ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)l/ The UK has been moved to critical alert, the highest terrorist ranking it can face. As the prime minister explained, that means a further post-Manchester attack may be imminent, in the view of security and police experts. If something is critical, it means it is extremely serious or dangerous. But how do we pronounce the word critical? Watch the video and find out, then go to our website to try a quiz: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/english-you-need/unit-16/session-3 Do you want to learn how to speak English? Then join us here on YouTube for great grammar, drama, news, study, pronunciation, vocabulary, music, interviews and celebrity videos. Every day we have a new video to help you with English. We also produce regular 'extra' videos across the week so come back every day to see what's new. MONDAY: Exam Skills TUESDAY: News Review – discover the language used by news organisations to explain the news WEDNESDAY: Pronunciation in the News. You can also follow three news stories with LingoHack THURSDAY: Teachers' Room FRIDAY: Learners' Questions We like receiving and reading your comments - please use English when you comment. For more videos and content that will help you learn English, visit our website: http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/