2 syllables: bit, ter. Stress on bit.
BIT-ur
/ˈbɪtɚ/
bitter is pronounced BIT-ur (/ˈbɪtɚ/). It has two syllables (bit-ter), with the stress on "bit". Bitter describes a sharp, acrid taste or a harsh, resentful emotion. It typically functions as an adjective and can also describe difficult circumstances or environments. In everyday speech, it conveys strong negativity or intensity, whether about flavor, memory, or attitude. The word often appears in idioms and collocations that emphasize strong, lingering sensations or feelings.
Bitter describes a sharp, acrid taste or a harsh, resentful emotion. It typically functions as an adjective and can also describe difficult circumstances or environments. In everyday speech, it conveys strong negativity or intensity, whether about flavor, memory, or attitude. The word often appears in idioms and collocations that emphasize strong, lingering sensations or feelings.
"The medicine tasted bitter, so she chased it with juice."
"He spoke with a bitter tone, masking his disappointment."
"The coffee was too bitter for my palate."
pronunciation is /ˈbɪtər/ in US and /ˈbɪtə/ in UK/AU for most speakers. The stress is on the first syllable. Start with a short, lax /ɪ/ as in
Common errors include shortening the first syllable too much and over-articulating the second syllable. Another frequent mistake is inserting an /ɚ/ vowel in the second syllable; keep it as a schwa or a reduced /ə/. Ensure the /t/ is crisp rather than flapped in American casual speech, and avoid turning /tər/ into /təɹ/ in rapid speech.
In US English, /ˈbɪtər/ with a rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɾ/ or /t/ depending on dialect; the second syllable is often reduced to /ər/. In UK English, /ˈbɪtə/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a quieter second syllable; the /t/ is often a crisp stop. Australian English tends toward /ˈbɪtə/ with a flattened vowel in the second syllable and non-rhotic /r/.
The challenge lies in maintaining a light, reduced second syllable while keeping the first syllable crisp and short. The /ɪ/ in the first syllable is a short, lax vowel that can shift toward /ɪə/ in some dialects, and the second syllable’s schwa can become a reduced /ə/ or even disappear in fast speech. Mastery requires timing the syllable-timed rhythm and controlling the tongue position for /t/ and the lightly released /ər/ in American accents.
The word centers on a single stressed syllable with a clean /t/ before a reduced /ər/ (US) or /tə/ (UK/AU). The /t/ should be aspirated lightly; avoid a post-alveolar tap in careful speech. A distinctive feature is the vowel length contrast: the /ɪ/ is short and clipped, not a long or shifted vowel, which helps contrast with nearby words like “bit-” vs “bet-.”
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Bitter comes from Middle English bitter, via Old English bēadur or bitere, related to Dutch bitter and German bitter. The word traces to Proto-Germanic *bitōraz, from the PIE root *bhit- meaning ‘to bite’ or ‘sharp taste.’ Historically, bitter described gustatory sensations and evolved to capture figurative meanings—resentment, harshness, or difficulty—by the Old English period. By the 12th–14th centuries, bitter extended into emotional descriptors, often in heraldic, culinary, and moral contexts. The semantic shift reflects a common Indo-European pattern where a taste or sensation becomes a metaphor for mental states (e.g., bitter disappointment). Over time, the term broadened in English to cover not only flavor but also persistent negativity, adversity, and alienation, maintaining strong emotive force in literary and everyday usage. Modern usage preserves the culinary sense (bitter chocolate), the emotional sense (bitterness), and the figurative sense (a bitter winter, bitter feud), while retaining idiomatic phrases such as “bitter end” and “bitter pill.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "bitter" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "bitter" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "bitter"
-ter sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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