word
Liquefaction
lik-wih-FAK-shun
/ˌlɪkwɪˈfækʃən/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
liquefaction
Dictionary meaning
A phenomenon in which saturated, unconsolidated soil temporarily loses strength and behaves like a liquid during an earthquake or other rapid loading, often causing buildings to sink or topple.
Examples
- Soil liquefaction during the 1964 Alaska earthquake caused entire neighborhoods to shift.
Common mispronunciations
LIK-wee-FAK-shun (the -ue- is reduced to a schwa)
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