Airport is a noun referring to a built facility where aircraft take off and land, with runways, terminals, and air traffic services. It functions as a hub for passenger travel, baggage handling, and security procedures. In everyday use, people refer to catching a flight, checking in, or arriving at an airport for travel.
- You might flatten the first diphthong /eə/ into a simple /e/ or /eɪ/. Fix: practice /eə/ by starting at /e/ and gliding toward /ə/ as you move to /pɔːt/. - The second syllable often becomes a quick /pt/ blend or an unreleased /t/. Fix: practice clearly articulating the /p/ + /ɔː/ + /t/ sequence with a short pause after /ɔː/ before the /t/ if called for in careful speech. - In rapid speech, you may skip the syllable break and say /ˈeɹpɔɹt/. Fix: hold the /ɔː/ longer and ensure the /t/ lands distinctly. - In non-rhotic accents, the /r/ may disappear; ensure you don’t insert an extra /r/ sound at the end of the first syllable.
- US: pronounce /ˈeəˌpɔrt/ with a clearly pronounced /r/; keep the diphthong intact but smooth the glide into /p/. - UK/AU: typically non-rhotic; the /r/ is silent after vowels; the /ɔː/ is longer; focus on maintaining the /ˈeə/ diphthong without adding extra schwa. - IPA references: US /ˈeəˌpɔrt/ ; UK/AU /ˈeəˌpɔːt/. - Vowel shifts: US may be a tighter /eə/; UK/AU often a more open /ɔː/. - Mouth positions: start with jaw slightly open for /eə/, then round lips into /ɔː/ for /ɔː/ before /t/.
"We arrived at the airport two hours before our flight."
"The airport was crowded with travelers and families."
"Security screening at the airport moved quickly this morning."
"I’ll meet you curbside at the airport terminal."
Airport traces to the late 15th/16th centuries language development surrounding air travel. The word combines ‘air’ (from Old English air) with ‘port’ (from Latin portus via Old French port), originally meaning a harbor or harbor-related place where ships dock. As early aviation emerged in the early 20th century, the term airport was coined to denote a place where air travel operates, paralleling sea-ports. The concept evolved from simple airfields to complex, multi-terminal hubs with passenger facilities, customs, and security. First known uses appear in English aviation discourse in the 1900s-1910s, though it took a few decades for the word to become the standard term for airborne travel infrastructure. By mid-20th century, airports had expanded to large international complexes, with terminology like international airport to differentiate from regional fields. Today, ‘airport’ is ubiquitous across languages with local equivalents, yet the English compound remains the primary term worldwide for these transportation hubs.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "airport" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "airport" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "airport" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "airport"
-ort sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronunciation: /ˈeəˌpɔːt/ (US) or /ˈeəˌpɔːt/ (UK/AU). Start with a stressed first syllable ‘air’ containing a diphthong /eə/ formed by opening the jaw slightly and gliding from /e/ toward /ə/. The second syllable 'port' uses /pɔːt/, a long open-mid back vowel before a voiceless alveolar stop /t/. Keep the /r/ light in non-rhotic accents, and avoid adding an extra syllable. Practice with a gentle lift from /eə/ to /ə/ before the /pɔːt/ cluster. You'll hear the rhythm: primary stress on the first syllable, light secondary contour on the second.
Two common errors: (1) Over-suppressing the second syllable so it sounds like /pɔt/ with a weak vowel; ensure the /ɔː/ is full and not reduced. (2) Misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, leading to a stronger /r/ that tacks onto the /t/; in US, the /r/ is more pronounced, but in UK/AU, it's customary to de-emphasize /r/ after vowels. Focus on maintaining /ˈeə/ before the long /ɔː/ and avoid blending /eə/ into a dull /e/. Slow practice helps you feel the diphthong split.” ,
In US English, you’ll hear a rhotacized /r/ with a clearer /ˈeəˌpɔrt/ and a slightly quicker /pɔːt/ due to flap-like reductions. In UK and AU accents, non-rhotic tendencies mean the /r/ is often silent after vowels; final /t/ can be released crisply, and the /ɔː/ in /pɔːt/ tends to be a longer, rounded vowel. Vowel quality shifts are subtle: US may sound flatter in /eə/; UK/AU maintain more centered or lengthened /ɔː/. Keep the first syllable stressed, but adjust rhoticity per region.” ,
Key challenges are the diphthong /eə/ in the first syllable and the long /ɔː/ in the second; maintaining distinct vowel lengths in fluent speech is hard. The /r/ can complicate non-rhotic accents, and rapid connected speech often merges vowels, making the two syllables sound like one. The ending cluster /t/ can be unreleased in rapid speech, or slightly aspirated in careful speech. Mind the transition from the vowel glide to the /p/ and then to /ɔːt/ for a clean, clear word.
A unique feature is the clear, sharp separation between the vowel sounds in /ˈeə/ and /ɔː/ despite fast speech. In careful pronunciation you’ll maintain a perceptible glide between the diphthong in the first syllable and the long vowel in the second, avoiding a fused /ˈeəpɔː/ that sounds like a single syllable. Emphasize the second syllable’s length, so listeners perceive the intended two-syllable word.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "airport"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker say 'airport' and immediately repeat with identical pace; aim for 3-5 seconds behind the audio. - Minimal pairs: air/aire, bear/boat, pat/pot to train vowel contrasts near /eə/ and /ɔː/; use them in sentences twice daily. - Rhythm practice: count 4-beat phrases: “We’ll go to the airport tomorrow.” Emphasize 1st syllable. - Stress practice: stress on the first syllable; use hand guidance to feel the beats. - Recording: record yourself saying airport in different contexts; compare to native samples to adjust length and intonation.
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