2 syllables: car, pet. Stress on car.
KAHR-puht
/ˈkɑɹpət/
carpet is pronounced KAHR-puht (/ˈkɑɹpət/). It has two syllables (car-pet), with the stress on "car". Carpet refers to a floor covering made of woven or piled fibers, typically used to insulate and decorate indoor spaces. It can also denote a thick fabric layer or a surface covering in various sizes. In everyday speech, carpet often appears in domestic and commercial contexts, with attention to its pronunciation and surrounding collocations.
Carpet refers to a floor covering made of woven or piled fibers, typically used to insulate and decorate indoor spaces. It can also denote a thick fabric layer or a surface covering in various sizes. In everyday speech, carpet often appears in domestic and commercial contexts, with attention to its pronunciation and surrounding collocations.
"We bought a plush carpet for the living room and it feels warm underfoot."
"The hotel lobby has a deep red carpet that muffles footsteps."
"Please vacuum the carpet once a week to keep it clean."
Carpet is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈkɑːr.pɪt/ in US and UK. The first syllable carries primary stress: /ˈkɑːr/ (care-t), and the second syllable is a light, quick /pɪt/. Mouth positions: start with an open back unrounded /ɑː/ in the first vowel, then a rhotic /ɹ/ following to tint the vowel before the /r/; finish with a short front lax /ɪ/ and a voiceless final /t/. Audio reference: Cambridge dictionary or Forvo can provide native recordings for precise timing and quality of the reduced second syllable.
Common errors: treating the first syllable as /ˈkæɚ/ with a short /æ/ or misplacing the /ɹ/; omitting the /t/ at the end or dropping the final consonant; not reducing the second syllable /pɪt/; and rushing the second syllable leading to /ˈkɑːr.pɪt/ sounding like /ˈkɑːrpɛt/. Corrections: ensure the first vowel is the long /ɑː/ or /ar/ with rhoticity in US/UK accents; keep /t/ crisp at the end; practice a light, quick /pɪt/ that doesn’t become /pət/; use a short 0.2–0.25s vowel in the second syllable and emphasize the first syllable.
In US English, /ˈkɑːr.pɪt/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ɑː/ in the first syllable; in many UK accents you might hear /ˈkɑːpɪt/ with non-rhoticity in some regions, making the /r/ less audible, and a slightly shorter first vowel; in Australian English, expect /ˈkɑːpɪt/ with a broad /ɐ/ or /ɑː/ and a rolled or tapped /r/ depending on region. The key differences are rhoticity and vowel quality, plus the duration of the first syllable.
Two main challenges: (1) The /ˈkɑːr/ onset requires accurate rhotic articulation, which can be hard for non-rhotic speakers or non-native learners; (2) The final /pɪt/ cluster demands crisp voiceless stop consonant with a short vowel, avoiding fricative or schwa tendencies. Avoid adding extra vowel before the /t/ and ensure the /ɹ/ influences the preceding vowel without creating an intrusive vowel. IPA cues help you master timing and place: /ˈkɑːr.pɪt/, with attention to /ɹ/ and /t/ closure.
Carpet relies on clear two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the first syllable. A common trap is linking or smoothing the boundary between /ˈkɑːr/ and /pɪt/ to avoid a clean stop between syllables; practice by isolating the two syllables, then stringing them together with a crisp 0.1–0.2s pause between /r/ and /p/. This helps maintain the perceptual boundary and prevents a slurred, monophthongal finish.
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Carpet comes from the Old French word carpite, derived from Italian tappeto, which in turn traces to Arabic ‘ṭanbū’ or Persian ‘karpēt’ historically; the English form emerged by the 15th century through Norman French influence. The word underwent semantic broadening from a specific woven floor covering to generic thick coverings used on floors and, occasionally, walls. Early English usage often described floor coverings in aristocratic households, with the term appearing in household inventories and sermons addressing cleanliness and propriety. By the 17th–18th centuries, carpet became a common term in trade and manufacturing, aligning with textile production expansions in Europe and the Levant. In modern English, carpet maintains two broad senses: the noun for the floor covering and, less frequently, a metaphorical “carpet” used in idioms (e.g., “carpet bombing”). The word’s journey mirrors European textile exchange, with Arabic and Persian textile techniques influencing Western carpets through trade routes. First known uses in printed English appear in Middle English manuscripts, but the sense solidified in Early Modern English as woven fabrics proliferated in domestic spaces.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "carpet" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "carpet" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "carpet"
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