Advertise means to promote a product, service, or idea publicly to attract interest or sales. It involves communicating features or benefits, often via media or campaigns. The term covers planning, messaging, and dissemination to reach a target audience, with emphasis on visibility, persuasion, and market impact.
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"The company plans to advertise its new smartphone across social media and billboards."
"She decided to advertise her freelance design services on local community boards."
"The airline launched a campaign to advertise holiday discounts to families."
"During the festival, several vendors will advertise their crafts with bright signs and demos."
Advertise derives from the Latin ad- (toward) and vertere (to turn, to turn toward). The root vertere evolved in Old French as aviser, meaning to advise or to inform, later shifting in English to convey ‘to make known’ or ‘promote.’ The present form advertise emerged in Middle English with senses linked to informing the public or urging action. The noun advertisement (early 15th century) later shortened to ad and then refined to advertising in the 19th–20th centuries as commercial promotion expanded with mass media. The sense of publicly promoting goods and services evolved with print, radio, television, and digital platforms, giving modern advertising its strategic, persuasive connotations that drive consumer behavior and brand visibility.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "advertise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "advertise" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "advertise"
-ise sounds
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You pronounce it as /ˈæd.vɚ.taɪz/ in US and UK, and /ˈæd.və.taɪz/ in Australian English. The primary stress is on the first syllable: AD-ver-tize. The middle syllable has a rhotic schwa or reduced vowel in American; lips relax, tongue sits mid, and the final /aɪz/ begins with a clear /aɪ/ as in “eyes.” Audio reference: you can compare with online dicts for pronunciation audio.
Two frequent errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying ad-VER-tize instead of AD-ver-tize; keep primary stress on the first syllable. (2) Slurring the final /aɪz/ into /ɪz/ or /əz/; ensure you hear the /aɪ/ before the /z/. Practice by isolating /æd/ and /vər/ and then add /taɪz/. Slow practice helps; try saying AD-ver-tize slowly, then at natural speed.
US/UK both place stress on AD-; both have /ˈæd.vɚ.taɪz/ or /ˈæd.və.taɪz/. The US typically uses a rhotic /ɚ/ in the second syllable, as in /ˈæd.vɚ/; Australian tends to reduce /ɚ/ and may be closer to /ˈæd.və.taɪz/ with a flatter vowel in the middle. The final /aɪz/ remains /aɪz/ in all — ensure the /ɪ/ does not become a schwa.
The challenge lies in the sequence of a stressed syllable followed by a reduced middle syllable and a rising diphthong /aɪ/ in the final syllable. People often mispronounce the middle vowel as a full /ɜ/ or /ɜː/ or blend /v/ with /t/. Focus on the clear onset /æd/ and crisp /v/ plus the distinct /aɪ/ at the end, using a light, quick transition between syllables.
A notable quirk is the combined /d v/ cluster across syllable boundary: /d.vɚ/ or /d.və/; keep the /d/ closed and immediately release into /v/, then proceed to /taɪz/. The middle vowel can reduce to a near-schwa in many accents, so you’ll hear AD-VER-tize with a short, relaxed second syllable. Mind the /æ/ length and avoid over-enunciating the middle.
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