2 syllables: burn, out. Stress on burn.
BUR-nowt
/ˈbɝˌnaʊt/
burnout is pronounced BUR-nowt (/ˈbɝˌnaʊt/). It has two syllables (burn-out), with the stress on "burn". Burnout refers to a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overwork, often accompanied by reduced motivation and performance. It can also describe the process of a resource depleting to the point where a system or person can no longer sustain activity. The term is widely used in professional, academic, and social contexts to discuss worker wellness and organizational culture.
Burnout refers to a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overwork, often accompanied by reduced motivation and performance. It can also describe the process of a resource depleting to the point where a system or person can no longer sustain activity. The term is widely used in professional, academic, and social contexts to discuss worker wellness and organizational culture.
- Misplacing primary stress on the second syllable by saying /ˌbɜːrnˈaʊt/; correct by enforcing initial primary stress on BUR and maintaining a distinct /naʊt/ ending. - Slurring the final /t/, producing a /d/ or a silent ending in fast speech; practice final-release with a crisp /t/ to avoid /n aʊ/ without the stop. - Reducing /ɜːr/ to a lax /ɜr/ or /ɚ/ in non-rhotic accents; maintain a clear rhotic or rhotic-like tongue position depending on dialect. - Jumping from /ɜːr/ directly to /aʊ/ without proper linkage; use a subtle transition with a light /ɹ/ or glottal stop depending on accent to connect. - Over-smoothing the diphthong /aʊ/ resulting in a mid-vowel; ensure a visible glide from low to high in the second syllable.
"Her chronic burnout finally led her to take a leave of absence."
"The project’s burnout was evident in the team’s dwindling energy and engagement."
"After months of overtime, burnout pushed him to rethink his career path."
Burnout is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈbɜːrˌnaʊt/ in US and UK English. The primary stress is on the first syllable 'BUR,' with a secondary stress on the second part 'out' as a stressed-unstressed sequence in many rapid speech patterns. Start with /bɜːr/ (rhymes with 'burrow' without the -ow), then glide into /naʊt/ (rhymes with 'out'). See audio resources for precise timing.
Common errors include saying /ˈbɜːnaʊ/ or /ˈbərˌnaʊt/ with misplaced stress, or merging into /ˈbɜːrnaʊt/ without the proper secondary stress on the second syllable. Some speakers shorten the /aʊ/ diphthong to a simple /a/ or drop the /t/ at the end in fast speech. Correct by keeping a clear /naʊt/ at the end and ensuring the /r/ is pronounced in rhotic accents. Practice with the two-syllable rhythm: BUR-nout.
In US English, /ˈbɜːrˌnaʊt/ features a rhotic /ɜr/ with pipe-like 'er' sound; UK English often uses /ˈbɜːnˌaʊt/ with non-rhotic /r/ in some speakers and slightly rounded vowel quality; Australian English tends to align with US/UK around /ˈbɜːnˌaʊt/ but can have more centralized vowels in rapid speech. The final /t/ is typically released in all three, though some informal speech may sound like /t̬/ or fragment. Use audible vowel height and rhoticity cues for accuracy.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the open back vowel /ɜː/ in the first syllable to the high, low-diphthong /aʊ/ in the second, and then the final /t/ release. The /ɜːr/ sequence requires precise tongue root retraction and approximant /r/ articulation in rhotic varieties. The /naʊ/ diphthong blends a mid-to-high tongue position with a gliding vowel, and final /t/ can be unreleased. Practicing the triplet BUR-nout with attention to lip rounding and jaw tension helps.
A distinctive element is the strong two-syllable rhythm where the stress anchors the first syllable and the second syllable carries a lighter, quicker glide into the /t/ closure. This makes the word feel compact and forceful. Paying attention to the tail /naʊt/ cluster, ensuring the /n/ is clear before /aʊ/, and not merging into single syllable, keeps it natural.
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- US: emphasize /ɜ˞/ with a strong rhotic /ɹ/ and clear /aʊ/ diphthong; keep the mouth slightly more open on /ɜːr/ and ensure the /t/ is released. - UK: may be less rhotic; keep /ˈbɜːn/ with a longer /ɜː/ and crisp final /t/; practice non-rhotic linking, but keep the second syllable clear. - AU: often rhotic-like; focus on the /ɜː/ to /aʊ/ transition, keep the final /t/ crisp; reduce linking in rapid speech but retain clarity. Use IPA: US /ˈbɜːrˌnaʊt/, UK /ˈbɜːnˌaʊt/, AU /ˈbɜːnˌaʊt/.
Burnout is a compound word formed from burn (to consume with heat or use up energy) and out (indicating completion or exhaustion of a process). The concept emerged in the 20th century in English, initially in contexts describing physical fatigue or resource depletion, then extending metaphorically to psychological and occupational burnout. The earliest uses trace to the 19th century metaphorical sense of something burning out, or burning up, but it gained modern traction in the 1970s–1980s during research on stress and, later, occupational psychology. The term rose to prominence in psychiatry and human resources literature, paralleling discussions about workload, burnout syndrome, and wellness. In contemporary usage, burnout commonly appears in discussions of workplace culture, but also in social media, education, and sports, where prolonged strain leads to a decrease in performance and engagement. The evolution reflects a shift from literal exhaustion to a broader recognition of chronic stress as a health and organizational concern.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "burnout" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "burnout"
-out sounds
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