2 syllables: car, tel. Stress on tel.
kahr-TEL
/kɑˈɹtɛl/
cartel is pronounced kahr-TEL (/kɑˈɹtɛl/). It has two syllables (car-tel), with the stress on "tel". Cartel refers to a formal agreement among competing firms or groups to control prices, production, or exchange in a market, often illegal or covert. It can also mean a group assembled for a particular purpose, especially one that prohibits competition. In common usage, it denotes an organized alliance that coordinates actions to maintain advantage. The term carries a business or criminal connotation depending on context.
Cartel refers to a formal agreement among competing firms or groups to control prices, production, or exchange in a market, often illegal or covert. It can also mean a group assembled for a particular purpose, especially one that prohibits competition. In common usage, it denotes an organized alliance that coordinates actions to maintain advantage. The term carries a business or criminal connotation depending on context.
- You’ll hear/feel a two-syllable cadence, not a single syllable. Focus on keeping /k/ and /t/ clear, not letting /t/ blend into a quick /l/. - Common mispronunciation is to merge /t/ and /ɛ/ into a dull /ˈkɑrtəl/ without highlighting the /ɛ/; ensure a strong /t/ release before the vowel. - Another mistake is replacing /r/ with a soft, non-rolled sound in American accents; keep the rhotic /ɹ/ as in US English if you’re aiming for US realism. - For non-rhotic speakers, don’t skip the /r/ entirely in the first syllable when it’s in rhotic contexts; practice both rhotic and non-rhotic forms to be aware of subtle differences.
"The international drug cartel operates across several border towns with strict territory rules."
"A cartel of publishers agreed to set standard ebook prices to avoid price wars."
"Local businesses formed a cartel to fix delivery charges in the market."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on two syllables: /kɑːrˈtɛl/ (US) or /ˈkɑː.təl/ (UK). Start with a broad, open back-unrounded /kɑː/ or /kɑː/, place the tongue high for /r/ if you’re using an rhotic US variant, then move to a stressed /ˈtɛl/ or /təl/ transition. The key is the stress on the second syllable in many UK renditions and the crisp /t/ followed by a light /əl/ in non-rhotic accents. Reference audio in dictionaries can help anchor the exact vowel lengths and r-coloring.
Common errors: 1) Merging syllables into /ˈkɑr.təl/ without proper secondary stress on the second syllable, making it sound like /ˈkɑrt/; 2) Reducing /tɛl/ to a simple /təl/ too lightly, losing the clear /e/; 3) Misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Correction tips: practice with a two-beat rhythm, emphasize the /t/ release before /ɛ/ and ensure the /l/ is light and syllabic or non-syllabic depending on accent.
In US English, /kɑːrˈtɛl/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ɛ/ vowel, often two-syllable with stress on second syllable. UK English tends to be /ˈkɑː.təl/ with non-rhoticity; the /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel, and the second syllable often contains a schwa /ə/; Australian English lies between, often /ˈkɑː.təl/ with subtle rhotic-ish coloring. IPA provides precise contrasts: US /kɑːrˈtɛl/, UK /ˈkɑː.təl/, AU /ˈkɑː.təl/ with a reduced final vowel.
Two main challenges: the two-syllable rhythm with a strong secondary stress and the /t/ + /ɛ/ sequence producing a crisp onset before the vowel; plus non-native speakers may struggle with the /r/ in US and the /əl/ coda. Practice by isolating /kɑː/ plus a strong /t/ release into /ɛl/ or /əl/ depending on accent, and use minimal pairs to stabilize the vowel and coda timing.
A unique feature is the contrastive vowel quality in US /kɑːrˈtɛl/ versus UK /ˈkɑː.təl/. The second syllable carries a lighter vowel and often a schwa in non-rhotic speech. The primary tension for learners is landing the /r/ (in rhotic accents) and the /ɛ/ vs /ə/ within the coda. Focus on timing: the release of /t/ and the subsequent vowel start shapes the perceived rhythm of the word.
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- US: Keep a pronounced rhotic /ɹ/ in the first syllable; /kɑɹ/ should have a rounded, back tongue position with the tip slightly raised. The /t/ should be aspirated before the /ɛ/; the final /l/ is light, with the tongue tip contacting the alveolar ridge before lifting. IPA: /kɑːɹˈtɛl/. - UK: Often non-rhotic; the first syllable is /kɑː/ with no /ɹ/; final is /təl/ with a schwa; aim for a slightly shorter vowel before the /l/. IPA: /ˈkɑː.təl/ - AU: Similar to UK, but with a more pronounced vowel length and occasional rhoticity; keep the /t/ crisp and the final /əl/ with a light schwa; IPA: /ˈkɑː.təl/. - general tip: practice with a mirror to monitor tongue position, and listen to native speaker samples to notice subtle rhotic cues and vowel quality.
Cartel comes from the French cartel, which in turn derives from the Italian cartello meaning a card, placard, or bill, and literally 'a small card or paper.' The broader sense in early modern Europe referred to a list or sign that declared terms or conditions, especially for trade or military arrangements. By the 17th–18th centuries, the word described formal agreements between parties to regulate commerce or territory, often used in political or mercantile contexts. In the 19th and 20th centuries, English adopters broadened the term to denote any coordinated, often secretive agreement among competitors to stabilize prices or market shares. Today, cartel is most commonly used in economics and law to describe collusive groups that limit competition. The pronunciation has remained stable to emphasize the two-syllable structure with primary stress on the first syllable. First known use in English literature appears in the 19th century, with social and economic texts employing the term to discuss combinations of firms or groups plotting strategic outcomes in various markets.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "cartel" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "cartel"
-cel sounds
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