4 syllables: Ac, cen, tu, ate. Stress on cen.
ak-SEN-choo-ayt
/æˈksɛntʃueɪt/
Accentuate is pronounced ak-SEN-choo-ayt (/æˈksɛntʃueɪt/). It has four syllables (Ac-cen-tu-ate), with the stress on "cen". Accentuate is a verb meaning to highlight or emphasize something, or to increase the effect or intensity of a feature or detail. It implies making a quality more noticeable through careful emphasis or presentation. The term is commonly used in both academic and everyday contexts to draw attention to a particular aspect of information, appearance, or performance.
verbAccentuate is a verb meaning to highlight or emphasize something, or to increase the effect or intensity of a feature or detail. It implies making a quality more noticeable through careful emphasis or presentation. The term is commonly used in both academic and everyday contexts to draw attention to a particular aspect of information, appearance, or performance.
"The speaker used bold graphics to accentuate the key findings in the report."
"She wore a bright scarf to accentuate her outfit."
"The professor stressed examples to accentuate the main concepts during the lecture."
Pronunciation: /ˈæk.sən.tjuˌeɪt/ (US) or /ˈæks.ən.tjʊ.eɪt/ (UK). Primary stress on the first syllable, with a secondary, subtle secondary on the third? Actually standard: ac-CEN-tu-ate with secondary weak stress on the second syllable and final syllable carries secondary emphasis. Break it into three parts: AC- (front open vowel) + CEN- (schwa or /sən/) + tu- (tʃu or /tjʊ/) + ate (/eɪt). In careful speech you’ll hear it as ac-CEN-tu-ate: /ˈæk.sən.tjuˌeɪt/. Audio reference: you can check Cambridge Online Dictionary or Forvo for native pronunciations.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (saying ac-CEN-tu-ate with wrong syllable emphasis) and mispronouncing the middle cluster as /ˈæk.sənˌtæjeɪt/ or /ˈæks.ənˌtuː.eɪt/. Avoid pronouncing the third syllable as /tw/ or flattening the /ju/ into /juː/ without the linking sound. The correct sequence is a clear /æ/ in the first syllable, a schwa or /ən/ in the second, a /tʃ/ or /tj/ onset in the third, and a final /eɪt/ vowel. Practice the middle “tu” as /tju/ or /tjʊ/ depending on accent.
US: primary stress on the first syllable with /ˈæk.sən.tjuˌeɪt/. UK: similar, but the /ju/ can be realized as /tjʊ/ before the /eɪt/, giving /ˈæks.ən.tjʊ.eɪt/. Australian: often merges vowels a bit more, with slightly reduced second syllable and clear /tj/ onset; you may hear /ˈæk.sən.tuː.eɪt/ or /ˈæks.ən.tʃuː.eɪt/. In all, the rhoticity differences are minor here; vowel quality and linking may vary.
Two main challenges are the schwa-heavy second syllable and the /tj/ cluster in the third syllable, which can slip into a /tʃ/ or /tj/ depending on speaker. The sequence ac- cen- tu- ate requires precise timing: stress on the first syllable, clear /sən/ or /sn/ transition, and a crisp /tju/ onset before the final /eɪt/. Lipping and tongue position must accommodate the palatal onset /tj/ or /tʃ/ depending on dialect.
No, there is no silent letter in Accentuate. All letters contribute to the total pronunciation: a-c-c-e-n-t-u-a-t-e, with pronounced sounds in each syllable. The potential area of mispronunciation is the vowel sounds and the /tj/ cluster. Ensuring that no letter is skipped and that you articulate the /t/ and /ju/ sequences clearly is key.
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US: rhotic, generally clearer /r/ if present in connected speech; UK: lighter /r/ and slightly tighter vowel sounds; AU: broader vowel space, more elongated diphthongs. Vowel cues: /æ/ in first syllable, /ə/ or /ən/ in second, /tju/ or /tjʊ/ before final /eɪt/. IPA references: US /ˈæk.sən.tjuˌeɪt/, UK /ˈæks.ən.tjʊ.eɪt/, AU /ˈæk.sənˌtjʊ.eɪt/.
Accentuate comes from the Latin accentuatus, past participle of accēnctāre meaning to direct one’s attention to a particular point. It ultimately derives from accentus, meaning an added emphasis or note, from the verb accēnctāre, to bring to a point or to stress. The root accēnct- relates to mental or spoken emphasis, with the French accentuer adopting the sense of giving emphasis in speech or appearance. In English, accentuation has been used in both physical styling (to accent a feature by visual contrast) and in speech (to place stress on syllables or words). The modern sense—emphasizing or stressing a feature—emerged in the 17th–18th centuries as both a literal and figurative term, aligning with idiomatic uses like accentuate a point or feature in writing and rhetoric. First known uses appear in scholarly and rhetorical writings of the late 1600s, with subsequent standardization in 18th–19th century English as education and public speaking emphasized clarity and emphasis in communication.
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Words that rhyme with "Accentuate"
-ate sounds
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