4 syllables: as, tro, nom, ers. Stress on tro.
uh-STRAH-nuh-murz
/əsˈtɹɑnəmɚz/
astronomers is pronounced uh-STRAH-nuh-murz (/əsˈtɹɑnəmɚz/). It has four syllables (as-tro-nom-ers), with the stress on "tro". Astronomers are scientists who study celestial bodies—stars, planets, and galaxies—by observing their motions and properties. The word refers collectively to people in this field, often working with telescopes and data analysis. It denotes a professional group, typically used in academic or research contexts to describe those who practice astronomy.
Astronomers are scientists who study celestial bodies—stars, planets, and galaxies—by observing their motions and properties. The word refers collectively to people in this field, often working with telescopes and data analysis. It denotes a professional group, typically used in academic or research contexts to describe those who practice astronomy.
- Overemphasizing the second syllable and flattening the first: you might say as-TRON-omers with heavy stress on TRON; instead maintain a light initial and clear middle stress to reflect natural English rhythm. - Mispronouncing the middle vowel: the sequence /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ can become a longer, more open sound. Aim for a short, relaxed vowel in the second syllable before the final -mers. - Final -ers suffix: many learners say /-ers/ as /-erz/ or /-ə(z)/; in careful speech, keep the final /z/ or /z/ and an unstressed preceding vowel; in rapid speech, reduce to a schwa before the z sound.
"The astronomers debated the origin of a faint quasar discovered last night."
"After years of training, the astronomers published a comprehensive survey of nearby exoplanets."
"Astronomers in the observatory prepared for a long night of stargazing and data collection."
Pronounce it as /ˌæˈstrɒn(ə)rz/ or /əˈstrɒnəmə(r)z/ depending on accent. Primary stress is on the second syllable: as-TRON-om-ers, with a light, reduced final -ers. In careful speech, pronounce the first syllable with /æ/ as in cat, the second syllable /ˈtrɒn/ with an open back vowel like 'lot' in non-rhotic accents, and finish with /əz/ or /ərz/ depending on dialect. Audio references: consult pronunciations on Forvo for native speaker variants and Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries.
Common errors include overemphasizing the second syllable, producing /æˈstrɒnəmə(r)z/ with a stressed first syllable; misplacing /r/ in non-rhotic British speech; and flattening the /ə/ in the third syllable. Correct by stressing the second syllable slightly more and keeping the middle vowel as a shorter schwa in casual speech, or a clear /ə/ in careful speech, before the final /nz/ or /rz/ cluster. Practice with minimal pairs and listening exercises.
US: rhotic, /ˌæstrəˈnɑːmərz/ with a clear /r/ and likely /ˈnæ-/ onset. UK: non-rhotic, /ˌæstrəˈnɒməz/ or /ˌæstrəˈnɒməz/ with a lighter /r/ and rounded /ɒ/ in stressed syllable. AU: similar to UK but with a broader vowel quality, often a slightly longer vowels, /ˌæstrəˈnɒməz/. Pay attention to rhotics, vowel color, and /z/ plural ending pronunciation.
Difficulties arise from the cluster of consonants between syllables, the reduced third syllable vowel, and the final -ers suffix adding a /z/ or /s/ sound. The stress pattern is not intuitive because English often shifts stress within compounds or compounds-laden terms. The combination /strɒn/ with the /ɹ/ or /r/ can challenge non-native speakers, and the subtle vowel differences in US/UK/AU accents require precise tongue positioning.
Yes. The second syllable carries primary stress, and the middle vowel typically reduces to a schwa-like sound in rapid speech, while the final syllable features a voiced or voiceless /z/ depending on the preceding sound and dialect. The -ers ending can be reduced; in careful speech aim for /ərz/ (US) or /əz/ (UK/AU) in rapid speech variants.
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- US vs UK vs AU: US tends to maintain a more rhotic /ɹ/ with a clearer /ər/ in the final syllable; UK often reduces the final /r/ and uses a more centralized final vowel; AU typically falls somewhere between, with a broader vowel quality and less pronounced /r/ in non-rhotic contexts. Use IPA: US /ˌæstrəˈnæmərz/ or /ˌæstrəˈnɒməz/; UK /ˌæstrəˈnɒməz/; AU /ˌæstrəˈnɒməz/. Focus on rhoticity: US tends to keep /r/; UK/AU reduce it.
Astronomer comes from the Middle English astronomoure, borrowed from Old French astronomer, ultimately from Latin astronomus, and from Greek astronomos (astronomer, from astron ‘star’ + nomos ‘law, order’). The root astr- (star) links to Greek astro-, while -nomer derives from nomos (law, ordered knowledge), reflecting the ancient sense of someone who arranges or studies the stars. The term appears in English by the early modern period, aligning with the formalization of scientific disciplines during the 17th–18th centuries. Early usage often described philosophers or practitioners who declared the motions of heavenly bodies rather than the modern, specialized scientist who conducts empirical observation, modeling, and data analysis. Over time, the word narrowed to denote a professional in astronomy, frequently with emphasis on observational or theoretical work and often tied to institutions like observatories and universities. The plural form astronomers emerged to refer to multiple practitioners, gaining commonality as astronomy expanded as a standardized field of inquiry.
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Words that rhyme with "astronomers"
-ers sounds
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