Meaning from sounding out a word

Try saying the word aloud, rather than just reading it in your head. See if it, or a part of it, sounds similar to any other words you do know the meaning of. For instance, take the word generic. If you pronounce it aloud it should sound something like:

jen-er-ic

Does it sound like any words you know? Yes! ‘Generic’ sounds quite similar to the word ‘general’. So if you had to hazard a guess, ‘generic’ might mean something similar to ‘general’. Look it up in the dictionary and you’ll find that it does indeed:

generic = general, not having a specific brand name or identity

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