4 syllables: A, vi, a, tor. Stress on A.
AY-vee-ay-tur
/ˈeɪviˌeɪtɚ/
Aviator is pronounced AY-vee-ay-tur (/ˈeɪviˌeɪtɚ/). It has four syllables (A-vi-a-tor), with the stress on "A". Aviator is a person who flies aircraft, especially as a pilot. In common usage, the term can refer to a military or commercial pilot, or more broadly to someone associated with aviation. The word emphasizes the act of piloting and air travel, rather than ownership or manufacture of aircraft.
nounAviator is a person who flies aircraft, especially as a pilot. In common usage, the term can refer to a military or commercial pilot, or more broadly to someone associated with aviation. The word emphasizes the act of piloting and air travel, rather than ownership or manufacture of aircraft.
"The aviator captain greeted the crew as the plane prepared for takeoff."
"She kept a journal recording the daily life of an aviator during the early days of flight."
"The museum hosted an exhibit featuring a famed aviator and his WWII missions."
You pronounce it as /ˈæviˌeɪtər/ in US/UK, with primary stress on the first syllable and a secondary lift on the second, as in AV-ee-uh-tor. Start with /æ/ as in cat, move to /vi/ with a light /v/ and a short /i/ vowel, then /eɪ/ as in face, and end with /tər/ where the /ər/ is a schwa+r or a reduced r-color. IPA references: US /ˈæviˌeɪtər/, UK /ˈæv.i.əˌtɔː/ or /ˈæv.iˌeɪ.tər/ depending on rhoticity.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (say /əˈviːeɪtər/), mispronouncing the /æ/ as /eɪ/ or /ə/ and flattening the /tər/ to /tər/ without a proper syllable break. Another frequent issue is merging /vi/ into a single sound like /viː/ without a clear /i/; you should articulate /v/ + /i/ distinctly. Practice by isolating syllables: AV - i - a - tor, ensuring each segment gets attention.
In US and UK, primary stress on AV- with a distinct /æ/ followed by /vi/ and a clear /eɪ/ before /tər/. US rhotic pronunciation often yields a pronounced final /r/; UK tends toward a non-rhotic /əˈtɔː/ or /-tər/ with lighter R. Australian tends to be closer to UK in rhoticity but may reduce the final vowel, producing /ˈæv.iˌeɪ.tə/ with a soft, shorter final /ə/. General tip: maintain crisp /v/ and /t/; ensure the vowel quality differences reflect the accent.
The difficulty comes from the combination of a diphthong /eɪ/ in the middle and a final unstressed /ər/, which can reduce in rapid speech. Also, the sequence /vi/ between consonants requires precise tongue positioning to avoid blending into /viː/. The cluster at the end can be tricky for non-native speakers due to the rhotic vs non-rhotic endings and slight vowel reduction in casual speech.
Aviator is notable for its three-syllable rhythm with a clear primary stress on the first syllable and a secondary emphasis on the second syllable in careful speech. The /eɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable is a dominant feature; keeping it distinct from the preceding /vi/ requires precise vowel articulation. Also, the final /ər/ (or /tə/ in non-rhotic dialects) should be lighter and shorter than the stressed syllables, contributing to a buzzy, airy cadence typical of English flight-related terms.
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Aviator comes from the Latin aviator, meaning ‘one who flies,’ derived from Avis, meaning ‘bird,’ which also yields aviation. The term entered English in the 18th–19th centuries as early aviation emerged; it was used to describe airmen and pilots during the pioneering era of flight. The root avi- relates to birds and flight (as in avian), while the -ator suffix denotes an agent noun, indicating a person who performs an action. Over time, aviator became a more formal or literary term for pilots, often used in historical or military contexts rather than everyday speech. In modern usage, aviator can also surface in branded product names and in fashion (e.g., aviator sunglasses) to evoke the pilot persona.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Aviator" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Aviator"
-tor sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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