2 syllables: broad, casts. Stress on broad.
/ˈbrɔːd.kæsts/
Say it backBroadcasts is the third-person singular present tense and plural noun form of broadcast: to emit or transmit (radio, television, or online signals) or to spread information widely. In modern usage it often refers to multiple transmissions or programs, or to journalists and networks assisting in disseminating content. The word carries a clipped, brisk cadence when used as a verb and a heavier plural cadence when used as a noun.
"The network broadcasts the evening news at six o'clock."
"Her podcast broadcasts reach listeners around the world."
"The coast guard broadcasts weather alerts on a continuous loop."
Pronounce as /ˈbrɔdˌkæsts/ in US and /ˈbrɒdˌkɑːsts/ in UK; stress on the first syllable, with a secondary stress on the second syllable. Begin with an open back rounded /ɔ/ in the first vowel, then /d/ blending into /k/ for the second syllable, and end with /æsts/ for the plural noun or /æsts/ for the verb form. For audio reference, listen to standard news broadcasts or Pronounce examples. Mouth positioning: lips rounded for /ɔ/ then relaxed for /ɑː/; keep the /d/ light before the /k/ to avoid “d-k” cluster confusion.
The two most frequent errors are vowel quality in the first syllable and misarticulating the /dr/ cluster into a simple /d/. Correction: ensure an accurate /ɔ/ (US) or /ɒ/ (UK) before the /d/, producing /ˈbrɔd/—avoid a lax /brawd/ or mis-shaped /brɒd/ sequence. Also avoid running the /d/ into /k/ too tightly; keep the /d/ lightly released before /k/, so the sequence is /dˌkæsts/. For the final /sts/, ensure a crisp /s/ followed by a clean /t/ and /s/ rather than a blended /st/ into /s/.
In US English you’ll hear /ˈbrɔdˌkæsts/ with a darker /ɔ/ and a light /t/ release before /s/. UK English features a slightly more rounded /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ in the first vowel and a broader /ɑː/ in the second syllable; final /ts/ tends to be crisper in careful speech. Australian tends toward a broad /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ with less vowel reduction and a clear /t/ release; rhoticity is non-rhotic in some speakers, but most broadcast speech remains non-rhotic with relaxed rhoticity. IPA references provide precise cues: US /ˈbrɔdˌkæsts/, UK /ˈbrɒdˌkɑːsts/, AU /ˈbɹɔːdˌkɑːsts/.
The difficulty lies in the fast transition from a closed syllable /brɔ/ to the dense /dˌk/ cluster and the final /sts/ sequence, which requires precise timing and air control. Coordinating a hard dental-alveolar /d/ release into /k/ without an audible vowel between them can be tricky, and the plural terminal /s/ must be crisp to avoid a lisp or assimilation. Focus on keeping a light /d/ release and a sharp /k/ with clean /æsts/ ending, using slow practice and controlled breath for accuracy.
The key nuance is the steady, non-emphatic stress pattern across the two syllables and the crisp /ts/ ending in plural usage. Unlike a simple /brɔd/ + /kæsts/ segmentation, you should maintain a smooth transition from the first syllable to the second, avoiding an exaggerated /d/ or overly prolonged /æ/. A practical cue is to think: ‘broad’ as one unit with a quick glide into ‘casts,’ ensuring the /d/ and /k/ are distinct but not separated by a vowel.
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Broadcast originates from the practice of sowing seeds broadly across fields in agricultural contexts, a metaphor extended to disseminating information widely. The term in broadcasting emerged in the early 20th century with the advent of radio and television, where signals were transmitted over a broad area. The root sense is ‘to scatter’ or ‘to spread widely’; by the 1920s, radio pioneered by pioneers like Reginald Fessenden and Guglielmo Marconi adopted the term to describe the transmission of audio content to a broad audience. The noun sense “broadcasts” aligns with plural transmissions or programs produced for public consumption. The verb form became common as networks started scheduling multiple broadcasts daily, while the noun usage expanded to include both individual programs and ongoing series. Over time, the word also gained metaphorical use: to broadcast a message equates to disseminating information or propaganda to a wide audience. The word’s usage has remained stable in media discourse, though the connotation can shift from neutral transmission to a strategic communications of content. First known uses appear in mid- to late-19th century agricultural texts describing the scattering of seeds, with the modern media sense recorded in early broadcasting-era publications around 1920s. The evolution reflects technology-driven expansion from physical spread to media dissemination across conventional and digital platforms.
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Words that rhyme with "broadcasts"
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