3 syllables: Cam, ou, flage. Stress on Cam.
KAM-uh-flahzh
/ˈkæməˌflɑʒ/
Camouflage is pronounced KAM-uh-flahzh (/ˈkæməˌflɑʒ/). It has three syllables (Cam-ou-flage), with the stress on "Cam". Camouflage (n.) refers to the methods or materials used to conceal someone or something by blending with the surrounding environment. It can also describe the concealment achieved through patterns, colors, or deceptive appearance. In broader use, it denotes strategies that hide true intentions or identities. The term emphasizes visual concealment and the idea of concealment through mimicry and adaptation in various contexts.
nounCamouflage (n.) refers to the methods or materials used to conceal someone or something by blending with the surrounding environment. It can also describe the concealment achieved through patterns, colors, or deceptive appearance. In broader use, it denotes strategies that hide true intentions or identities. The term emphasizes visual concealment and the idea of concealment through mimicry and adaptation in various contexts.
- Not preserving the three-syllable structure; rushing the middle syllable makes it sound like CAM-uh-lazh. Correct by isolating each syllable: CAM /kæm/; uh /ə/; flahzh /flɑːʒ/. - Mispronouncing /fl/ as separate stops; practice saying /fl/ as a single cluster without break. - Final /ʒ/ replaced by /ʃ/ or /dʒ/; target /ʒ/ by raising the tongue near the palate and voicing forcefully. - Vowel quality drift; US tends to /ɑː/ in final, UK sometimes /ɒ/; choose one standard and stick with it for consistency.
How to Pronounce Camouflage
"Soldiers rely on camouflage to stay hidden in the forest."
"The bird’s camouflage helps it avoid predators by blending with leaves and bark."
"The company’s logo uses camouflage colors to imply stealth and adaptability in design."
Camouflage is pronounced with three primary phonemes: /ˈkæm.əˌflɑːʒ/ in US and /ˈkæm.əˌflɒʒ/ in some UK pronunciations. The stress falls on the first syllable: CAM.uh.flAHZH. Start with /kæ/ as in cat, move to /mə/ as in about, then /flɑːʒ/ (US) or /flɒʒ/ (UK) as in 'flazh' with the final sound rhyming with 'voʒ'. Lips relax, tongue lowers for /æ/, then the /m/ is a bilabial nasal, and the /fl/ cluster requires a light explosive release into the /ɑː/ or /ɒ/ before the /ʒ/ (as in measure). Audio reference: you can compare to Cambridge or Oxford pronunciations.
Common mistakes include over-smoothing the middle syllable and misplacing the /l/ or /fl/ cluster. People often say /ˈkæm.əˈfləɡ/ or mispronounce the final /ʒ/ as /ʃ/. Correction: keep the /fl/ together as a consonant cluster, then go to /ɑː/ or /ɒ/ and end with /ʒ/. Ensure the final syllable has a voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ (as in 'measure'), not /ʃ/. Also maintain primary stress on the first syllable: CAM-uh-flahzh.
In US English, the ending often emphasizes /ɑː/ or /æ/ followed by a clear /ʒ/, with rhotic intonation typical. UK English can show a shorter final vowel, sometimes /ɒ/ with a lighter /ʒ/. Australian speakers may have a rounded vowel in the final syllable and slightly different intonation, often closer to /ˈkæm.əˌflæʒ/ or /-flɑːʒ/ depending on speaker. Across all, the /ˈkæm/ onset and /fl/ cluster remain, but vowel qualities and rhoticity create distinct regional flavors.
The difficulty centers on the multi-syllabic rhythm and the /fl/ cluster followed by /ɑː/ or /ɒ/ and the final /ʒ/ sound, which is less common in many languages. Native speakers often misplace the stress and blend the middle vowels, leading to /ˈkæm.əˈflɒʒ/ or /ˈkæməflæʒ/. Practice focusing on isolating the /fl/ blend, keeping the final /ʒ crisp, and ensuring the first syllable carries primary stress. IPA targets: /ˈkæm.əˌflɑːʒ/ (US) vs /ˈkæ.məˌflɒʒ/ (UK).
A unique trait is the pronounced second syllable target /ə/; many speakers reduce /ə/ to a schwa quickly, which can blur syllable boundaries. For precision, maintain a light, clear /ə/ before the /fl/ cluster and avoid collapsing the syllables into a single smooth vowel. Pay attention to the final /ʒ/—it should be voiced and not replaced by /ʒ/ or /dʒ/. IPA guidance: /ˈkæ.məˌflɑːʒ/ (US) versus /ˈkæ.məˌflɒʒ/ (UK).
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- US: /ˈkæ.məˌflɑːʒ/. Tense, rounded final vowel; keep /ɚ/ or /ə/ neutral between cam-uh. - UK: /ˈkæ.məˌflɒʒ/. Slightly shorter final vowel; non-rhotic sometimes; still maintain final /ʒ/. - AU: /ˈkæ.məˌflæʒ/ or /ˈkæ.məˌflɑːʒ/. More influence from American intonation; watch non-rhoticity tendencies. - All: emphasize /kæ/ and /fl/ clusters; the /ʒ/ sound is crucial for authentic camouflage. Use IPA cues during practice and mimic native audio.
Camouflage originates from the French camouflage, which entered English in the early 20th century. The term itself was coined by illustrator and designer Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola in 1911, inspired by the form camouflet (a French term for a puff of smoke or a mask). It was adopted into military vernacular during World War I to describe the practice of concealing troops and equipment from enemy observation. The root prehistory connects to camoufler (to disguise) from camoufler in French, combining cam- (eye, face) with the French -oufler or -ouflage concepts linked to shaping perception. In English, the word quickly broadened beyond military use to refer to any concealment through appearance, behavior, or patterning across fashion, nature, and psychology. First known use in English appears around 1910–1914, with military usage rising prominently during WWI, then expanding into civilian domains in the 1920s and 1930s as camouflage patterns and materials became widely used in fashion and art. Over time, the term has retained its sense of deception through visual imitation and environmental adaptation, evolving to include digital and metaphorical applications in modern discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "Camouflage"
-age sounds
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