Capricorn is a noun referring to the sixth sign of the zodiac, represented by a goat with a fish tail, and to a person born under this sign. It also denotes the tropical/astronomical constellation and the related zodiac period. In astrology and culture, Capricorns are often associated with practicality, ambition, and discipline.
"Capricorn season runs from late December to January."
"ShePlan to start her new project after Capricorn season begins."
"The astrologer described him as a stubborn Capricorn who values persistence."
"In the zodiac, Capricorn is located between Sagittarius and Aquarius."
Capricorn etymology traces to Latin capricornus, from capra ‘goat’ + cornu ‘horn,’ literally meaning ‘horned goat.’ The term arose in Latin astronomical and zodiacal usage to denote the sea-goat constellation Capricornus, which the Greeks associated with the mythic sea-goat Protogenoi and the figure of Pan. In later astronomy, the Latin name Capricornus was adopted into European languages, maintaining the dual sense of the constellation and the astrological sign. Historically, early astronomers mapped the ecliptic and placed the sun in Capricorn around the winter solstice, hence the sign’s association with stern, disciplined traits. The English word Capricorn emerged in Middle English via Latin, with first recorded uses in astronomical texts as a label for the star group; by the Renaissance, it permeated broader astrology and popular culture. The name persists across languages with slight phonetic adaptations, but the root components capra and cornu remain core to the meaning of a “goat horned” creature, anchoring its tradition in mythological goat symbolism and earth-sign attributes.
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Words that rhyme with "Capricorn"
-orn sounds
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Capricorn is pronounced /ˈkæ.prɪ.kɔːrn/ in General American, with primary stress on the first syllable. Break it into three syllables: CAP-ri-corn. The vowel in the first syllable is a short a as in cat, the middle is a short i, and the final vowel is a broad o as in corn, followed by an r-n sequence. Visualize the mouth: start with a wide jaw for CAP, relax the lips for ri, then round slightly for corn. You’ll see the ending rhymes with words like horn in many dialects, but in some accents the final r is less pronounced.
Common mistakes include flattening the first syllable from CAP to a more lax cat-sound, and misplacing stress on the second or third syllable. Another frequent error is mispronouncing the final -corn as a hard ‘corn’ without the subtle r-coloring; many non-rhotic speakers omit the r or reduce it. Correction tips: keep the primary stress on CAP, clearly enunciate ri with a short i, and ensure the final -corn contains the rhotic sound where applicable (as in /ˈkæ.prɪ.kɔːrn/ in rhotic varieties). Practice saying CAP- ri - corn in a smooth triplet, not a rapid, chopped sequence.
In General American, capri is stressed and the final -corn is rhotic: /ˈkæ.prɪ.kɔːrn/. In many UK accents, you’ll still have CAP-ri-corn, but the final r may be non-rhotic, producing /ˈkæ.prɪˌkɔːn/ with a lighter or unreleased r. Australian pronunciation generally mirrors rhotic or semi-rhotic patterns, with a clear but not overarticulated final /ɔːn/. The middle vowel can shift slightly toward a centralized /ə/ or a more lax /ɪ/ depending on speaker. Overall, the key differences are rhoticity in US, final r articulation in UK/AU, and vowel coloring.
The difficulty lies in the tri-syllabic structure and the final r-cluster, which can trigger different realizations of the final vowel and r in US vs UK vs AU accents. The middle syllable uses a short i, which can be mispronounced as /ɪ/ versus a schwa in fast speech, and the final /ɔːrn/ can morph toward /ɔːn/ or /ɔːn/ depending on rhoticity. The blend CAP- ri- corn requires precise timing and a smooth transition between syllables to avoid a clipped or merged sound.
Capricorn ends with an r-controlled nasal feel; in rhotic accents you hear a subtle /ɹ/ surrounding the vowel before the nasal /n/. In non-rhotic accents, the final /r/ is either silent or lenited, making the final syllable sound more like /kɔːn/. The critical point is maintaining the sequence CAP (with an open front vowel), then ri (short i), then corn (rounded back vowel plus r-colored ending). If you track the lip rounding and tongue position for /ɔː/ and the rhotic ending, you’ll stabilize Cap- ri- corn across contexts.
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