2 syllables: ca, dets. Stress on dets.
kuh-DETS
/kəˈdɛts/
cadets is pronounced kuh-DETS (/kəˈdɛts/). It has two syllables (ca-dets), with the stress on "dets". Cadets are members of a military academy or training program who are in the early stages of their career. The term also refers to students undergoing formal training in leadership, discipline, and basic military skills, typically pursuing a commission. In everyday use, it can describe disciplined trainees in police, fire, or other uniformed services. The word emphasizes status as learners within a structured, hierarchical environment.
Cadets are members of a military academy or training program who are in the early stages of their career. The term also refers to students undergoing formal training in leadership, discipline, and basic military skills, typically pursuing a commission. In everyday use, it can describe disciplined trainees in police, fire, or other uniformed services. The word emphasizes status as learners within a structured, hierarchical environment.
- Common Mistakes in Pronunciation of cadets • Vowel length: People often shorten /eɪ/ to /e/ or a lax /eɪ/ approximant, which makes the first syllable sound like ‘ca-dits’ rather than /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/. Remedy: elongate /eɪ/ to a full diphthong and emphasize the second vowel in the second syllable. • Final consonant cluster: The /ts/ sequence can get merged or weakened; you might say /t/ without the /s/ or say /dɪɡz/ by mistake. Remedy: articulate /t/ then release /s/ distinctly; practice with a pause between /t/ and /s/ during drills. • The /d/ and /t/ sequence: Some speakers merge /d/ and /t/ into a single alveolar stop. Remedy: practice the two stops in isolation (/d/ then a brief pause) and then in rapid succession to preserve the separation. • Stress misplacement in connected speech: Some say /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ with weak initial stress or misplace the emphasis. Remedy: keep primary stress on the first syllable and keep the second syllable shorter but clear. • Linking in context: In fast speech you might connect to the next word and blur the /d/ or /t/. Remedy: practice with carrier phrases to keep the final cluster crisp before a vowel-starting next word.
- Tips to correct: slow down your mouth movements, exaggerate the two stops, then normalize; mirror your pronunciation against a native speaker audio; use minimal pairs to lock the correct feel between /keɪ/ and /keɪd/; record yourself and compare the timing of /d/ and /t/ releases.
"The cadets stood in formation, awaiting inspection."
"She trained with cadets from several nearby academies."
"The academy cadets will graduate as staff officers."
Cadets is pronounced /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/. The first syllable carries primary stress. Start with a clear /keɪ/ as in ‘cake,’ then a short, clipped /dɪts/ where /d/ is a crisp stop, followed by a short /ɪ/ and the final /ts/ cluster. In connected speech, you may hear a tiny /ɪ/ reduction, but keep the /d/ closure and the /t/ plus /s/ release distinct. Listening reference: IPA guide or pronunciation tools can provide audio examples.
Common errors: (1) Slurring /dɪts/ into a single /dɪts/ or a blurred /d/ leading to /ˈkeɪɪts/. (2) Weak first vowel, turning /eɪ/ into /ɛ/ or /ɪ/; maintain the long /eɪ/ sound. (3) Dropping the /t/ or explicitly de-voicing the final /ts/. Correct by isolating the syllables: /ˈkeɪ/ + /dɪts/, practice stopping the /d/ briefly then releasing into /ɪ/ and /ts/.
US: /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ with a clear /æ/ no; stress on first syllable; rhoticity not affecting this word. UK: similar /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ but potential minor diphthong quality; the /t/ remains crisp. AU: /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ with a slightly broader vowel quality in /æɪ/; sometimes more clipped final /ts/. In all cases, keep the first syllable strong and the /d/ and /t/ distinct in the final cluster.
The challenge lies in the final consonant cluster /ts/ after a short /ɪ/ vowel and the rapid transition from the /d/ to the /t/ release. Maintaining a clean /d/ closure and an audible /t/ before /s/ requires precise timing. Additionally, keeping the long /eɪ/ in the first syllable while avoiding a reduced vowel can be tricky in rapid speech. Practice with slow, deliberate phoneme isolation and then blend.
A practical nuance is ensuring the /d/ and /t/ articulation are not conflated; you want a clear alveolar stop /d/ followed by a fresh /t/ release before the /s/. In careful speech, the two stops remain separate; in casual speech, you may hear a flash of /dɪts/ as a single cluster. Emphasize the separation by slight pause or a crisp tongue contact for the /d/ before the /t/.
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- US: /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ with crisp /d/ and alveolar /t/; scale vowel height in /ɪ/ slightly higher; rhoticity irrelevant here. - UK: /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ remains similar; mild vowel centralization may occur depending on speaker; ensure not to reduce /eɪ/; keep final cluster clear. - AU: /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/ with slightly broader vowel quality; faster speech can soften the /d/ and /t/; practice clearly releasing /t/ before the /s/. - IPA references: /ˈkeɪ.dɪts/; maintain full /eɪ/; ensure alveolar stops are distinct; keep mouth unilaterally precise for /d/ and /t/; incorporate minimal pairs to heighten awareness of subtle vowel shifts across accents.
Cadet derives from French cadet, meaning ’young man, pupil’ and ultimately from Latin catellus ‘young, little one’ from caterva ‘troop, crowd’. The word entered English via 18th-century military usage, reflecting a young trainee in a formal military academy. Early English usage paired cadet with officers-in-training, signaling a status below commissioned rank. Over time, cadet broadened beyond military contexts to describe youths in similar structured training programs, including police and fire academies, and even in academic contexts where leadership training resembles military discipline. The core idea remains a junior trainee under guidance and expectation of progression to higher ranks, although in modern usage the term can denote a wide range of age groups and programs depending on the organization. First known uses in English date to the 18th century with French and possibly Dutch influences shaping the term’s adoption, particularly in formal, hierarchical training settings.
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Words that rhyme with "cadets"
-des sounds
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