3 syllables: Ca, li, per. Stress on Ca.
KAL-uh-pur
/ˈkæləpɚ/
Caliper is pronounced KAL-uh-pur (/ˈkæləpɚ/). It has three syllables (Ca-li-per), with the stress on "Ca". Caliper is a measuring instrument with adjustable jaws used to measure the distance between two opposite sides of an object, often with a dial or digital readout for precision. In science and engineering contexts, it allows accurate external or internal measurements; the term encompasses both the tool itself and its measurement capability. The word emphasizes precision and calibration in measurement tasks.
nounCaliper is a measuring instrument with adjustable jaws used to measure the distance between two opposite sides of an object, often with a dial or digital readout for precision. In science and engineering contexts, it allows accurate external or internal measurements; the term encompasses both the tool itself and its measurement capability. The word emphasizes precision and calibration in measurement tasks.
Actionable corrections: - Practice with a mirror: emphasize the first syllable by gently tensing the jaw for /k/ and releasing into /æ/. - Do drone-free practice: say CAL-i-per in 3 quick taps on a metronome at 60 BPM, then 90 BPM to lock rhythm. - Use minimal pairs like caliper vs calipers in plural to practice final /ər/ vs /s/.
How to Pronounce Caliper
"The machinist set the caliper to measure the gap with millimeter accuracy."
"She read the dial on the caliper to determine the component’s thickness."
"Use calipers to verify external dimensions before the parts go to assembly."
Caliper is pronounced /ˈkæl.ɪ.pər/ in US and UK English. The primary stress is on the first syllable: CAL-i-per. The middle vowel is a short /ɪ/, and the final syllable ends with a soft /pər/ (a clear /p/ followed by a schwa-like /ər/ in rhotic accents). In careful speech, you can enunciate as CAL-i-PER with a light, quick final syllable. For audio reference, imagine a typical engineering narration: CAL-i-per.
Common errors include saying ‘kal-lipper’ with an extra syllable, or turning the final /ər/ into a hard /ɜːr/ or /ər/ with exaggerated length. Another mistake is stressing the second syllable (ca-LIP-er) instead of the first. To correct: keep the primary stress on CAL, reduce the middle vowel to a short /ɪ/, and end with a short /pər/ rather than a drawn-out /ər/. Practice saying CAL-i-per quickly but clearly, then slow it to feel natural in context.
In US English, /ˈkæl.ɪ.pɚ/ with rhotic final /ɚ/; in many UK accents the final vowel may be a non-rhotic /ə/ or a light /ə/ and the /r/ is not pronounced, giving /ˈkæl.ɪ.pə/ in standard RP-like speech. Australian English tends toward /ˈkælɪpə/ with a flapped or tapped or unreleased final /ə/ and a slightly less pronounced final vowel. Across accents, the major differences are rhoticity and vowel quality in the final syllable, while the initial /kæl/ and middle /ɪ/ remain stable.
The main challenges are the short, clipped vowel in the middle /ɪ/ and the final /pər/ sequence, which requires precise tongue and lip control to avoid an extra syllable or an elongated vowel. Non-native speakers often slide into /ˈkælɪpə/ with a reduced final consonant cluster or misplace the stress. Practicing with minimal pairs (caliper vs caliper) helps, and focusing on ending with a crisp /p/ followed by a reduced /ər/ can improve clarity across accents.
Caliper has a straightforward syllable structure CAL-i-per with primary stress on the first syllable. There are no silent letters. The challenge is not silent letters but maintaining the strong initial stress while producing a quick neutral middle and a crisp, unstressed final. The vowel in the middle is short and needs to stay tight, avoiding an additional syllable or a longer vocalic sounds that could shift the rhythm in technical narration.
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Vowel/consonant details with IPA references: - initial /k/ with strong aspiration; keep the release crisp. - /æ/ is lax as in cat; avoid raising into /e/. - /ɪ/ is short; do not glide into /iː/. - /p/ plosive must be released clearly before the final schwa or /ɚ/. - final /ər/ (US) vs /ə/ (UK) vs /ə/ (AU) due to rhoticity; focus on the amount of r-coloring.
Practical tips: - Listen to native readings of technical manuals and mimic the cadence to capture the three-syllable rhythm. - Use tongue position cues: tip behind upper teeth for /t/ class; alveolar /l/ is light and contact is brief. - Record yourself and compare with a reference pronunciation; - Use forceful but short exhalations for each consonant to avoid slurring.
Caliper comes from the Greek kalipḗr, where kalos means beautiful and pteron means wing, but more relevant is its later Latin adoption as caliper from calipatus meaning ‘shaped with calipers,’ and subsequently through Old French and Latin into English. The modern noun caliper traces through Medieval Latin caliper, from the Greek kalypsein ‘to cover or hide’ in some early senses, but as a measuring instrument term it solidified in the 16th–18th centuries with the development of more precise mechanical devices. The word originally signified a tool that measures thickness or diameter by bearing against surfaces; by the 18th century, the vernacular notes its use in shipbuilding and geometry, evolving into the common mechanical sense we use today. First known printed usage in English appears in technical manuals around the 1600s, with broader standardization in the 18th and 19th centuries as machining and surveying practices matured. Contemporary use includes both external calipers (measuring external dimensions) and internal calipers (for bore or cavity measurements), as well as digital variants that relay data electronically. Overall, caliper has retained its core meaning of a precise measuring device while expanding to modern digital and ergonomic designs.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Caliper" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Caliper" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Caliper"
-per sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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