3 syllables: cel, e, brate. Stress on cel.
SEL-uh-brayt
/ˈsɛləˌbɹeɪt/
celebrate is pronounced SEL-uh-brayt (/ˈsɛləˌbɹeɪt/). It has three syllables (cel-e-brate), with the stress on "cel". Celebrate means to observe or honor a special occasion or achievement with joyful actions or ceremonies. It can refer to personal milestones, communal events, or festive activities, often marked by applauding, eating, or music. The term emphasizes positive recognition and shared happiness. (2–4 sentences, ~60 words).
Celebrate means to observe or honor a special occasion or achievement with joyful actions or ceremonies. It can refer to personal milestones, communal events, or festive activities, often marked by applauding, eating, or music. The term emphasizes positive recognition and shared happiness. (2–4 sentences, ~60 words)
- You might soften the /l/ or merge /ˈsel/ with the following vowel, leading to a run-together sound. Ensure the /l/ is clearly released before the /ə/ or /ɪ/ in the second syllable. - Misplacing stress on the second syllable or the fourth phoneme can make you sound hesitant; keep primary stress on the first syllable: SEL. - Final /t/ often becomes an unreleased stop or is dropped in rapid speech; practice a crisp /t/ to preserve the word's closing energy. - The /eɪ/ diphthong can drift to /iː/ or /eɪə/; keep it as a stable /eɪ/ glide, finishing with a clean /t/.
"We will celebrate our anniversary with a family dinner and a weekend getaway."
"The town celebrated the new bridge with a parade and fireworks."
"She celebrated her exam success by treating herself to a concert."
Pronounce as /ˈsel.ɪ.breɪt/. Start with stressed /ˈsel/ where /s/ is crisp, /e/ as a short e, followed by light /l/ with the tip behind the teeth. The second syllable /ɪ/ is a short i, then /breɪt/ with /br/ cluster and a long /eɪ/ diphthong ending in /t/. In fast speech, lips may compress on /l/ and /ɪ/ can be reduced to a schwa in some accents. IPA guidance helps lock the two primary vowels: /e/ in the first syllable and /eɪ/ in the final syllable.
Common errors include misplacing stress (say-SEL-e-brate vs. CE-le-brate), substituting /eɪ/ with /ɛ/ or dropping the /l/ sound, and softening the final /t/ into a flap. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, ensure the /l/ is clear before the /ɪ/ by not backing the tongue, and articulate the /t/ as a crisp alveolar stop; in rapid speech, allow a brief glide for the /eɪ/ without losing the /t/.
US: /ˈsel.əˌbreɪt/ with rhoticity affecting linking vowels; UK: /ˈsel.ɪ.breɪt/ with pronounced /l/ and slightly shorter /ə/; AU: /ˈsel.ɪ.breɪt/ similar to UK but with more discrete vowel length and non-rhotic tendencies in rapid speech. Across accents, the /eɪ/ in the final syllable remains a diphthong, but the preceding /ə/ may reduce more in US casual speech. Stress remains on the first syllable in all three.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the /l/ plus /br/ cluster, which requires precise timing: /ˈsel/ on beat one, then a quick /ɪ/ before the clear /breɪt/ cluster. Learners often mispronounce the /ɪ/ as /iː/ or misplace stress, causing a disrupted flow. Practice with slow tempo, isolating /sel/ and /breɪt/ segments, and emphasize the /breɪt/ ending to maintain a clean final stop.
The blend of a strong initial syllable with a following unstressed /ə/ or /ɪ/ and the prominent /breɪt/ ending creates a distinct rhythm: a heavy start, a light middle, and a bright final /eɪt/. This three-part profile—S-el-uh-brayt—helps distinguish it from similar verbs like 'celebrate' when used in fast, natural speech. IPA anchors: /ˈsel.əˌbreɪt/.
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- US: Rohitic influence is mild; ensure a clear /r/ absence in nonrhotic accents, but the surrounding vowels stay bright. - UK: Maintain a crisp /l/ and distinct /ə/ in the second syllable; keep /eɪ/ as a stable diphthong. - AU: Similar to UK but with slightly more vowel reduction in connected speech; keep /sel/ crisp and avoid lengthening the final /t/. IPA references: /ˈsel.əˌbreɪt/ across variants. - General tip: keep the first syllable highly stressed and the final /t/ precise for intelligibility.
Celebrate comes from the Old French celebrate, via Latin celebrare, meaning to frequent a shrine or to perform rites in honor of a deity. The Latin root celebrare combines celebr- “crowd, festival, reputation” with the suffixed -are “to make.” The sense broadened in English from ritual observance of religious rites to general joyful observance of any event. In Middle English, celebrate was tied to church festivals and public feasts; by the 16th–17th centuries, it expanded to secular occasions such as birthdays and national holidays. The modern sense emphasizes communal recognition and festive acknowledgment, often accompanied by congratulations and participatory celebration. First known use in English dates to the late 14th century, with further semantic shifts during the Renaissance and early modern periods as public and private life incorporated more diverse commemorations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "celebrate" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "celebrate" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "celebrate"
-ate sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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