Astronauts are people trained to travel and work in outer space. The term combines astro- (star) and -naut (sailor), emphasizing space travel. In everyday use, it refers to those who have completed spaceflight-related roles, missions, or exploration, typically pluralized to cover the group rather than an individual.
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"The astronauts practiced EVA procedures ahead of the mission."
"Many astronauts have backgrounds in engineering and science."
"The astronauts returned safely after a six-month sojourn in orbit."
"New generations of astronauts train for long-duration deep-space missions."
Astronauts derives from the Greek words astro- meaning ‘star’ and nautes meaning ‘sailor’ or ‘navigator,’ with a Latinization of nauta. The root astro- appears in terms denoting celestial or space contexts, while -naut has long been used in words related to sailors or explorers (e.g., astronaut, cosmonaut, taikonaut, nautical). The combined form first appeared in the early 20th century as human spaceflight concepts evolved. Its first known uses tended toward “astronaut” (singular) in science fiction and aerospace literature, with plural forms like astronauts emerging as the profession expanded. Over time, pluralization became standard to refer to the corps of spacefaring personnel rather than a single figure. The word’s meaning has broadened from mythical or hypothetical travelers to a formal occupational title with real-world training and missions, especially since the Space Age began in the 1950s–60s. The evolution reflects both linguistic productivity in English and the growth of international space programs that popularized the term across media and education.
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Words that rhyme with "astronauts"
-ots sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˈæs.trəˌnɔːts/ (US/UK). Primary stress on the first syllable AS-; secondary stress on the third syllable -nauts is lightly stressed. Tip: say AS-truh-NAWTS with a crisp final /ts/. Audio resources: YouGlish and Cambridge pronunciation demos can help hear the rhythm.
Two common errors: 1) Flattening the second syllable: say STRUH instead of trə; keep a schwa unstressed in the middle. 2) Mispronouncing the final -auts as /-oats/ or /-auts/ with a long A. Aim for /ɔːts/ at the end, not /oʊts/. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on /trə/ and /nɔːts/ segments.
US/UK share /ˈæs.trəˌnɔːts/ with rhoticity affecting the rless or rhotic presence before consonants in certain dialects. US tends to a clearer /ɹ/ in rhotic environments while UK may have shorter rhotic cues in non-rhotic contexts. Australian often merges the -ɔː/ with a broader diphthong, producing /ˈæs.tɹəˌnɔːts/ with slightly more centralized vowels.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the final cluster -nɔːts where the /ts/ release follows a long vowel. The middle /trə/ can be tricky: the t blends with r, and the schwa must stay unstressed. Additionally, the light secondary stress on -nauts can feel subtle in rapid speech, requiring precise timing between syllables.
A key feature is the clear /tr/ cluster occurring between stressed and unstressed syllables, which can cause a short, stiff tongue gesture if rushed. Ensure the /t/ and /r/ are distinct rather than a blended /trr/ sound; you want a quick, separated /t/ followed by a soft /r/ or vowel onset depending on accent, before the /nɔːts/.
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