2 syllables: at, tract. Stress on tract.
uh-TRAKT
/əˈtɹækt/
attract is pronounced uh-TRAKT (/əˈtɹækt/). It has two syllables (at-tract), with the stress on "tract". Attract means to draw in or pull toward, often by appealing qualities or magnetism. It can also mean to cause to approach or engage, as in attracting customers or attention. In use, it frequently describes the action of causing interest, admiration, or physical movement toward something, sometimes implying influence or charm rather than force.
Attract means to draw in or pull toward, often by appealing qualities or magnetism. It can also mean to cause to approach or engage, as in attracting customers or attention. In use, it frequently describes the action of causing interest, admiration, or physical movement toward something, sometimes implying influence or charm rather than force.
- Common phonetic challenges: 1) Final /kt/ cluster: ensure a crisp /k/ release into a stop; avoid a delayed or softened /t/ sound. 2) /tr/ onset: avoid inserting a short vowel between /t/ and /r/; keep /tr/ as a rapid consonant cluster rather than separate elements. 3) Vowel quality before stress: the first syllable uses a reduced schwa /ə/; avoid turning it into a full /æ/ or /e/.
"Her fashion sense attracts compliments wherever she goes."
"The concert lights attract crowds to the plaza."
"Advertisements need to attract potential buyers without being intrusive."
Pronounce as /əˈtrækt/ (uh-TRAKT) in US and UK, with primary stress on the second syllable. Start with a schwa /ə/ preceding the stressed /ˈtrækt/ sequence, then a clear /t/ at the end. In Australian English, maintain /əˈtrækt/ with similar vowel qualities but slightly more open vowels in some speakers. Audio reference: listen for the clear /tr/ onset and final hard /kt/ cluster.
Common errors: 1) Flattening the vowel to a flat /æ/ without the proper tense quality in /æ/ followed by /kt/. 2) Deleting the /r/ or misarticulating the /tr/ cluster, leading to /əˈækt/ or /ˈæktrækt/. 3) Voicing issues in the final /kt/—often finishing with a weak stop. Correction: keep a crisp /t/ release into /k/ and ensure the /tr/ is a single, held onset with the tongue bunched for /t/ and /r/ influence.
US: rhotic, /əˈtrækt/ with a stronger 'r' influence in some regions. UK: non-rhotic tendencies; vowel sounds slightly tenser, /əˈtrækt/ still common. AU: similar to US but sometimes broader vowels and a touch more vowel lengthened before /t/. Overall, the key is stress on 'tract' with crisp /tr/ onset; rhoticity mainly affects preceding vowel qualities in connected speech.
Because of the consonant cluster /tr/ immediately preceding the final /kt/. The transition from the alveolar /t/ to the velar /k/ requires precise tongue movement and control of aspiration. Learners often misplace the tongue for /tr/ and either insert a vowel between /t/ and /r/ or delay the /k/ release. Practicing the /tr/ onset and rapid /t/ to /k/ transition helps. Also, the schwa before stressed syllable must be light, not a full vowel.
No. 'Attract' is phonetically transparent: the letters A-T-T-R-A-C-T correspond to sounds /ə/ /ˈtrækt/ with an audible /t/ and final /k/ sound. The double T after the initial stress marks the onset, but none is silent. The /r/ is pronounced in rhotic accents; in non-rhotic accents the /r/ may be less pronounced or linked to the vowel before it in connected speech.
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Attract derives from the Latin ad- ‘toward’ + trahere ‘to draw, pull’ (the same root as 'traction' and 'draw'). The form evolved in the Middle English period with Old French influence, initially meaning to pull toward oneself or to draw toward. Over time, figurative senses broadened to include drawing interest, attention, or affection. The prefix ad- signals movement toward, while -tract stems from trahere, reinforcing the action of pulling or drawing in. By the 16th century, attract was used more commonly in figurative senses (to attract admiration, notice, or followers) than merely physically drawing. The word’s prevalence increased with the expansion of commerce and communication, where brands, ideas, and people sought to attract audiences. Today, attract encompasses both tangible pulling (magnetism, gravitational attraction) and intangible appeal (interest, affection, attention), making it a versatile term across domains such as marketing, physics, psychology, and social dynamics.
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Words that rhyme with "attract"
-act sounds
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