Due to the complexity and obscurity of alchemical literature, and the 18th-century disappearance of remaining alchemical practitioners into the area of chemistry, the general understanding of alchemy has been strongly influenced by several distinct and radically different interpretations.
dˈuː tə ðə kəmplˈɛksᵻɾi ænd əbskjˈʊɹɹᵻɾi ʌv ælkˈɛmɪkəl lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚ, ænd ðɪ ˈeɪtiːnθsˈɛntʃɚɹi dˌɪsɐpˈɪɹəns ʌv ɹᵻmˈeɪnɪŋ ælkˈɛmɪkəl pɹæktˈɪʃənɚz ˌɪntʊ ðɪ ˈɛɹiə ʌv kˈɛmɪstɹi, ðə dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ˌʌndɚstˈændɪŋ ʌv ˈælkəmi hˈæzbiːn stɹˈɔŋli ˈɪnfluːənst baɪ sˈɛvɹəl dɪstˈɪŋkt ænd ɹˈædɪkli dˈɪfɹənt ɪntˌɜːpɹɪtˈeɪʃənz.