3 syllables: ca, bi, net. Stress on ca.
KAB-uh-nuht
/ˈkæbənət/
cabinet is pronounced KAB-uh-nuht (/ˈkæbənət/). It has three syllables (ca-bi-net), with the stress on "ca". Cabinet refers to a body of officials, often in government, or a piece of furniture containing shelves and drawers. It can denote the committee of close advisers to a head of state, or a furniture piece designed for storage. The term carries formal, authoritative connotations, especially in political contexts, and can also describe a group of experts assembled for a particular task.
Cabinet refers to a body of officials, often in government, or a piece of furniture containing shelves and drawers. It can denote the committee of close advisers to a head of state, or a furniture piece designed for storage. The term carries formal, authoritative connotations, especially in political contexts, and can also describe a group of experts assembled for a particular task.
- Common challenge: maintaining distinct three-syllable structure in fast speech; people flatten to /ˈkæ.bɪ.nət/ or /ˈkæbɪnɪt/. - Correction: practice slow, exaggerate each syllable in isolation, then blend using stress on the first syllable and a crisp final /t/. - Focus on final consonant: ensure audible release, avoid voicing it as a stop followed by a nasal blend; practice with sentences and minimal pairs like cabinet/robot to hear differences. - Mouth posture: keep lips relaxed but ready for a clean alveolar /t/ release, avoid adding extra vowel length in second syllable. - Recording feedback helps identify when the middle vowel becomes too lax or when the final /t/ is swallowed.
"The prime minister met with her cabinet to discuss the new policy."
"He kept the silverware in the bottom cabinet of the kitchen."
"The curator opened the cabinet to reveal a rare collection of artifacts."
US: IPA /ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/; UK: /ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/; AU: /ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/. Primary stress on the first syllable. The middle vowel is a short 'ih' sound, and the final 'et' is a quick, light 'nit' sound, not a strong ‘et’ as in let. When speaking quickly, the second syllable may reduce to a schwa, giving /ˈkæ.bɪ.nɪt/ in fast speech. Listen for the short, clipped final consonant /t/. Audio reference: pronounce.google.com or Forvo entry “cabinet.”
Two frequent errors: 1) Overly elongating the middle syllable: say /ˈkæ-bɪ-nɪt/ with equal weight; keep the middle short: /ˈkæ.bɪ.nɪt/. 2) Substituting /kæbɪnɪt/ with a silent or almost silent 't' at the end; ensure the final /t/ is audible. Correction tips: practice slow, emphasize the final /t/ with a light release, and keep the first syllable crisp; use minimal pairs like cab/cab it to hear the difference. For VO guidance, use a mirror to check lip closure at the end.
US/UK/AU share the same /ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/ skeleton, with subtle rhoticity differences and vowel quality. US often rhymes with ‘cab-I-nit’ where the middle vowel is lax; UK tends to a slightly tenser vowel in the first syllable and a crisper /t/ release; AU pronunciation closely mirrors UK but may feature a more centralized or flattened vowel due to Australian vowel shifts. Stress remains on the first syllable; the final /t/ is usually released. Overall, minor vowel quality shifts occur, but integrity of the three-syllable structure remains consistent.
The main challenges are the short, quick middle syllable /ɪ/ and the final /t/ release after a lax vowel, which can cause a listener to hear /ˈkæ.bɪ.nɪ/ with a swallowed final sound. The risk of alveolar stop collision between /n/ and /t/ can blur the end. You’ll hear and need to execute a clean alveolar /t/ after a short /ɪ/; practice with hold/release drills and short, clipped syllables to sharpen the final consonant. Ensure the first syllable carries strong onset and the second syllable remains light.
A unique consideration is the potential for a syllabic or reduced middle in rapid speech, where the middle /ɪ/ can be perceptually weak, making the word sound like /ˈkæ.bɪ.nət/ or /ˈkæ.bɪ.n̩t/. Focus on the middle vowel being brief and distinct enough to avoid merging with the final /n/ and /t/; practice with connected speech and phrase-level cues to keep the three distinct syllables audible even when running speech.
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- US: mint into the first syllable with a quick, flat /æ/. The middle /ɪ/ is short; keep it light. The final /t/ has a clean release. - UK: slightly tenser first vowel, crisper /t/; avoid a strong non-rhotic influence on /æ/; final /t/ crisp, though some regional accents may feature t-glottalization in casual speech, but for careful speech aim for /t/ release. - AU: diphthong in /æ/ compressed; maintain three distinct syllables, with final /t/ released; similar to UK but with generalized vowel shifts. All share /ˈkæ.bɪ.nɪt/ skeleton; IPA references /ˈkæb.ɪ.nɪt/ for all three.
Cabinet comes from the Old French cabinet, meaning a small room or private chamber, itself from Old High German cabin, indirectly linked to Latin cabina “cabin, hut” and cabina “stern of a ship.” The word in English originally referred to a private room or study where archives and writings were kept, then extended to furniture containing drawers and shelves. By the 17th century, cabinet as a furniture term described a piece with multiple compartments, often ornate and enclosed. In political use, “the Cabinet” emerged in the 19th century to denote a body of high-ranking government officials who act as advisers to the head of state, reflecting the “private room” metaphor—an exclusive circle with specialized, confidential consultative functions. The semantic shift captures both the physical sense (a storage cabinet) and the figurative sense (a choose group of experts). First known uses appear in 14th–15th century texts referring to a private chamber, then 16th–17th centuries expanding to furniture, and by the 1700s–1800s as a political term in various European nations.
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Words that rhyme with "cabinet"
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