4 syllables: cen, tral, i, ty. Stress on tral.
sen-TAL-it-ee
/sɛˈntælɪti/
centrality is pronounced sen-TAL-it-ee (/sɛˈntælɪti/). It has four syllables (cen-tral-i-ty), with the stress on "tral". centrality (n.) The quality of being central or of having a central position or importance within a system, network, or context. It denotes the role of serving as a hub or pivot around which other elements are organized or prioritized, highlighting influence, connectivity, and focal significance.
centrality (n.) The quality of being central or of having a central position or importance within a system, network, or context. It denotes the role of serving as a hub or pivot around which other elements are organized or prioritized, highlighting influence, connectivity, and focal significance.
- You’ll slip on the /tr/ cluster immediately after the stressed syllable. Practice by isolating cen-TRAL and then combine with -i-ty. - Expect vowel drift in -al-; keep /æ/ in /ˈtræl/ rather than /eɪ/ or /ɑː/. - Final -ty should be /ti/ not /tɪ/; avoid reducing to /ti/ with minimal vowel. - Don’t slur the /l/ into the following /ɪ/; keep a clear /l/ transition. - When fast, you may elide syllables; force full pronunciation initially, then practice speed with accuracy.
"The centrality of the capital city in the country’s transport network is evident in its dense rail and road connections."
"Researchers examined the centrality measures of the social graph to identify the most influential nodes."
"The report argues that political centrality in the region shapes economic policy and investment priorities."
Say cen-TRAL-i-ty with the primary stress on the second syllable: /ˌsenˈtrælɪti/ (US/UK often render as /ˌsenˈtrælɪti/). Begin with /ˈsɛn/ or /ˌsen/, then /ˈtræl/ (the /æ/ in many accents), followed by /ɪ/ and ending with /ti/.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress, treating it as cen-TRAL-i-ty with wrong stress; 2) Slurring the /tr/ cluster so it sounds like /sr/ or /trælɪti/ without clear /tr/; 3) Vowel quality confusion: using /ɛ/ as in 'pen' instead of the /æ/ in /ˈtræl/; fix by emphasizing the short a in -tral- and speaking the -i- as a crisp /ɪ/.
US tends to reduce unstressed vowels less than UK; US may place stronger /æ/ in /ˈtræl/ while UK might be closer to /ˈtrɑːlɪti/ in some dialects. Australian typically features more centralized vowels and less rhoticity in related words, but centrality itself remains with clear /tr/ and /l/—the primary stress remains on the second syllable. Overall, you’ll hear subtle vowel shifts but the /ˈtræl/ chunk stays prominent.
Key challenges: the /tr/ consonant cluster after a stressed syllable, the short /æ/ in /ˈtræl/, and the final /ti/ as /ti/ not /tee/ or /tiː/. The sequence cen-TRAL-i-ty requires precise timing: avoid attaching the -i- to the -tral-; keep the vowel in the -i- crisp and the final -ty clear.
It’s pronounced as a separate syllable: cen-TRAL-i-ty, with the -i- forming its own syllable before the final -ty. The primary stress remains on the second syllable, so the sequence is slightly tripod: cen-TRAL-i-ty, not cen-TRAL- ity blended.
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- US: Pronounce /ˌsenˈtrælɪti/ with a strong /æ/ in /ˈtræl/ and a clear /ɪ/ in the penultimate syllable; rhoticity not affecting centrality, but you should keep the 'r' in allied words. - UK: Similar to US, but vowels may be slightly longer; keep the /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in related words but not in centrality; maintain non-rhotic influence (r less pronounced unless followed by a vowel). - AU: Often more centralized vowels and faster pace; keep /æ/ but may sound more centralized; deliver /ˌsenˈtrælɪti/ with crisp /t/ and /i/ endings; keep /l/ clear. - Use IPA as reference: /ˌsenˈtrælɪti/; practice with minimal pairs to sharpen vowel quality.
Centrality derives from the Late Latin centralitas, from centrum (marking the midpoint or center) + -itas, a suffix forming abstract nouns indicating a state or quality. The root centrum comes from Latin for ‘center,’ related to Greek kentron and English center. The suffix -ity marks a noun of abstract quality. The term entered English in the 17th–18th centuries amid mathematical and political discourse, where notions of centrality in graphs, networks, and organizational structures gained prominence. Initially tied to geometry and geography (the center of a circle or region), centrality broadened to describe the importance or influence of a node in a network, later becoming central to fields like social network analysis, urban planning, and organizational studies. First known uses appear in scholarly writings addressing spatial analysis and structural importance, before becoming a general term in academia and policy discussions. Over time, centrality has accumulated nuanced meanings across disciplines—from the mathematical centrality measures (degree, closeness, betweenness, eigenvector) in graph theory to the sociopolitical sense of being central to decision-making or resource allocation. Today, centrality is ubiquitous in analyses of networks, communities, and systems where locating a central, influential position yields insights into connectivity, priority, and resilience.
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Words that rhyme with "centrality"
-ity sounds
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# Master Guide: centrality
