Beverage is a liquid meant for drinking, typically encompassing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It refers to any consumable liquid used to quench thirst or accompany a meal, and is commonly found in hospitality and culinary contexts. The term emphasizes the product itself rather than the container, and is frequently used in formal and industry-language speech.
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"The restaurant offers a wide beverage menu, including fresh juices and artisanal sodas."
"After the workout, she grabbed a cold beverage to rehydrate."
"The beverage industry has seen a surge in healthier, low-sugar options."
"Please check the beverage aisle for sparkling water and iced tea."
The word beverage comes from the Old French word bebedeaire, which referred to a drink or something to be drunk. It derives from Late Latin bibere, meaning ‘to drink.’ The form underwent phonetic and spelling changes in Middle English, aligning with its current appearance by the 16th century. Historically, beverage often implied a prepared drink, as opposed to the general act of drinking or the container. Over time, English usage distinguished beverages from food, emphasizing the drinkable liquid and its social or ceremonial roles. The semantic field expanded with industrial production and beverage services, shaping terms used in hospitality, bar, and nutrition discourse. First known written attestations appear in early modern culinary texts, with the modern spelling beverage stabilizing through print standardization in the 18th and 19th centuries, paralleling broader standardization of English spelling.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "beverage" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "beverage" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "beverage"
-eve sounds
-ave sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Bev·er·age is stressed on the first syllable: /ˈbɛvərɪdʒ/. Sounds progress as BEV-er-ij with the final -age pronounced as -ij (like 'edge') in most dialects. Start with a short, crisp /b/ then /ɛ/ as in bed, follow with /v/ and a quick schwa /ə/ before the /dʒ/ sound. Ensure the /r/ is a light, rhotic American /ɹ/ or a non-rhotic variant depending on accent, but keep the /v/ as a voiced labiodental and the ending as /dʒ/.
Common mistakes: (1) Overpronouncing the final -age as /eɪdʒ/ or /ɒdʒ/ instead of the correct /ɪdʒ/. (2) Dropping the schwa in the second syllable, leading to /ˈbɛvərdʒ/ which sounds clipped. (3) Mispronouncing the /v/ or /ɹ/ cluster, turning /ˈbɛvərɪdʒ/ into /ˈbevərdʒ/ or /ˈbevɪdʒ/. Correction: keep the middle syllable as a lax /ə/ and smoothly transition into /dʒ/. Practice with minimal pairs you can hear: BEV-er-ij.
In US English, /ˈbɛvərɪdʒ/ with rhotic /ɹ/ in the second syllable; the final /dʒ/ as in judge. UK English often reduces the second syllable vowel to a schwa with a less pronounced /ɹ/ (non-rhotic): /ˈbevərɪdʒ/ or /ˈbevərɪdʒ/ with weaker rhoticity. Australian English aligns closer to UK, mild rhoticity or non-rhotic tendencies, maintaining the same /dʒ/ ending. The main differences lie in rhoticity and vowel quality in the second syllable.
Two main challenges: the unstressed second syllable /ə/ can be reduced so that the /v/ and the /r/ blend quickly, producing a blurred middle sound; and the final /dʒ/ requires precise tongue tip position with the palate to avoid a /dʒ/ sounding like /j/ or /ɹ/. Practicing the sequence /ˈbɛvərɪdʒ/ with slow articulation helps; keep a steady air flow to avoid a run-together ending.
A unique feature is the combination of a stressed initial syllable with a quick, neutralized middle vowel and a clipped but audible /dʒ/ at the end. The transition from /v/ to /ər/ can be a source of drift for non-native speakers, making the middle syllable sound like /ər/ or /ɚ/ depending on the accent. Paying attention to a stable /v/ and an explicit /dʒ/ helps lock in the rhyme with 'leverage' and 'media' sounds.
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