2 syllables: ba, ker. Stress on ba.
BAY-kur
/ˈbeɪkɚ/
baker is pronounced BAY-kur (/ˈbeɪkɚ/). It has two syllables (ba-ker), with the stress on "ba". A baker is a person who prepares and bakes bread, pastries, and related goods, typically as a profession. The term can refer to someone who owns a bakery or someone who specializes in the craft. In everyday use, it denotes expertise in dough handling, fermentation, and oven techniques, often implying routine, skilled, hands-on work.
A baker is a person who prepares and bakes bread, pastries, and related goods, typically as a profession. The term can refer to someone who owns a bakery or someone who specializes in the craft. In everyday use, it denotes expertise in dough handling, fermentation, and oven techniques, often implying routine, skilled, hands-on work.
- You: You may overemphasize the final syllable, saying something like bek-ER; instead, aim for a light, quick -er. I recommend thinking 'BEI' with an off-glide into a quiet /ɚ/ for US. - You: You might blur the diphthong /eɪ/ into an /e/ or /ɛ/, making it sound like 'be-ker' or 'beit-ker'. Practice by delaying the end of the first syllable slightly and then sliding into the second. - You: You may merge the two syllables into a single unit; keep a small boundary and then blend. Use slow practice: BEI - ker, then quickly: /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/.
"The baker pulled a tray of fresh baguettes from the oven."
"She visited the bakery to buy a cake for the party, watching the baker decorate it."
"A skilled baker can adjust hydration and kneading time to achieve the perfect crumb."
Pronounce it as BEY-ker, with primary stress on BEY. In US pronunciation it’s /ˈbeɚ/ in fast speech? Actually standard is /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/; in careful speech emphasize the two syllables: /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/ or /ˈbeɪ.kə/. The first syllable uses the long A as in “day,” the second is a reduced schwa with r coloring in rhotic accents. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, tongue high for /eɪ/ delay, then relaxed to schwa with the tip near the alveolar ridge. Audio references: you can compare with listen-and-repeat on Forvo or YouGlish; Pronounce lists it clearly as /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/.”,
Common errors: treating it as ‘baker’ with a short /e/ as in ‘bet’ instead of the long /eɪ/; dropping the final -er as /ə/ or slurring into /ɚ/ too strongly, making it sound like ‘bak-er’. Correction: hold the /eɪ/ as a diphthong: slightly gliding from /eɪ/ to a light /ɚ/ or /ɚ/ for US. Ensure the final syllable has a subtle rhotic finish in US speech, not a hard /ɜː/ or /e/. Practice separating the two syllables and then blending. Use minimal pairs to hear the contrast: /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/ vs /ˈbeɪ.kər/ vs /ˈbeɪ.kə/.
In US English, /ˈbeɚ/ or /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/ with rhoticity, the final /ɚ/ is pronounced with a rhotic vowel. In UK English, you’ll hear /ˈbeɪ.kə/ with a non-rhotic ending; the second syllable is a schwa, less pronounced /ə/. Australian English is similar to UK but with a more centralized mid /ə/ in some speakers and a slightly flattened /eɪ/ diphthong. Overall, stress remains on the first syllable; vowel quality shifts are the main differences: rhotic in US, non-rhotic in many UK accents, and variable in AU depending on speaker. Consider listening to regional samples in Cambridge dictionaries.”,
The challenge lies in the diphthong /eɪ/ followed by a fast, reduced /ɚ/ or /ə/ that seals the word in across dialects. Many non-native speakers over-emphasize the final vowel, or merge the consonant and vowels too quickly, so you sound like ‘bak-uh’ or ‘bay-ker’ with an unclear final r. The key is clear articulation of /eɪ/ and a light, controlled /ɚ/ or /ə/ depending on accent. Practice with tongue position and a gentle r-coloring for US; for UK AU practice the /ə/ is more central and less rhotic.”,
The unique feature is the two-syllable structure with a stressed first syllable and a reduced second syllable that still carries an audible vowel in some accents. Focus on housing your tongue for /eɪ/ in the first syllable, then letting the second syllable drop to a lighter vowel (schwa) with minimal consonant intrusion. In US, you’ll want a light /ɚ/; in UK/AU, a full schwa /ə/. This contrast makes the word sound natural rather than clipped or mumbled.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /ɚ/ with a clearly rounded mouth at the end; keep the /eɪ/ as a true diphthong. - UK: reduce rhoticity; /ˈbeɪ.kə/ with a shorter second syllable; keep the first syllable strong but not overly lengthened. - AU: often closer to UK but with a slightly more centralized second vowel; practice with a light /ə/ and soft /ɹ/ in connected speech. Use IPA reminders: US /ˈbeɚ/ or /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/, UK /ˈbeɪ.kə/, AU /ˈbeɜː/ in some speakers? Better stick to /ˈbeɪ.kə/ or /ˈbeɪ.kɚ/ depending on speaker. Focus on non-rhotic UK, rhotic US, and AU variations.
The word baker comes from Old English becere, from the Proto-Germanic root *bakjanan, related to baking. The modern form baker first appears in Middle English as bakere, reinforcing the occupation name that emerged as urban economies grew and specialized crafts arose. Historically, bakers formed guilds to regulate trade, quality, and bread quality; they were among the most essential urban trades due to bread’s staple status. The shift from generic bread-makers to professional bakers with regulated ovens and standardized loaves solidified in the late medieval period, with varying regional styles. By the Early Modern period, the term had entered broader usage to describe individuals who baked commercially rather than for home consumption. The pronunciation evolved to the modern /ˈbeɪ.kər/ in General American and /ˈbeɪ.kə/ or /ˈbeɪ.kə/ in RP, reflecting vowel shifts and simplification of unstressed syllables as English became more standardized. First known written attestations appear in 13th–14th century English texts, often in guild charters and market records, underscoring baking as an organized trade long before industrial ovens and mass production.
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Words that rhyme with "baker"
-ker sounds
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