2 syllables: chal, lenge. Stress on chal.
CHAL-uhnj
/ˈtʃæləndʒ/
challenge is pronounced CHAL-uhnj (/ˈtʃæləndʒ/). It has two syllables (chal-lenge), with the stress on "chal". A noun or verb denoting a task or situation that tests abilities, solving skill, or endurance; to invite opposition or doubt; or to contest something as difficult or worthy of effort. It implies exertion, risk, or doubt, often prompting persistence or improvement. In speech, it’s commonly stressed on the first syllable and ends with an unstressed -lenge.
A noun or verb denoting a task or situation that tests abilities, solving skill, or endurance; to invite opposition or doubt; or to contest something as difficult or worthy of effort. It implies exertion, risk, or doubt, often prompting persistence or improvement. In speech, it’s commonly stressed on the first syllable and ends with an unstressed -lenge.
- You might soften the /tʃ/ into /tɪ/ or /ʃ/, losing the initial blend; keep a crisp /tʃ/ as one sound. - The second syllable may reduce to /lɪ/ or /lə/; aim for a distinct /l/ then /ɪ/. - Rushing the final /ndʒ/ can blur into /dʒ/; articulate as /ndʒ/ with a brief closure before the vocalic release.
"The new project presents a real challenge for the team."
"She accepted the challenge with a confident smile."
"They issued a challenge to the rival team during halftime."
Pronounce as /ˈtʃæ.lɪndʒ/ in US/UK/AU. Stress on the first syllable: CHAL-lenge. The first vowel is the short /æ/ as in bat; the second syllable begins with the /l/ and moves into the /ɪ/ vowel; the ending is the voiced affricate /ndʒ/ as in judge. Tip: keep the mouth open for the /æ/ and glide smoothly into /l/ and /ɪ/ without a strong pause.
Common errors include: (1) stressing the second syllable (cha-LENGE) instead of the first; (2) articulating the ending as /eɪndʒ/ or /dʒi/ instead of /ndʒ/; (3) mispronouncing the initial /tʃ/ as /t/ or /ʃ/. Correct by emphasizing the initial /tʃ/ blend, keeping /æ/ in the first syllable, using a clean /l/ before /ɪ/, and finishing with a crisp /ndʒ/ without an extra vowel.
In US/UK/AU, all share /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/. Differences lie in vowel quality: US tends to a slower jaw movement and a clear /æ/; UK vowels can be a touch tenser with slight reduction in the second vowel; AU may have a flatter /æ/ with a softer /ɪ/ and a more fronted /dʒ/. Rhoticity has little effect since the word ends in /dʒ/.
Difficulties include coordinating a single initial blend /tʃ/ with a short /æ/ and a voiced affricate /ndʒ/ at the end, all in three syllables with stress on the first. The /æ/ sometimes shifts toward /e/ in rapid speech, the /l/ can coalesce with /ɪ/, and the final /dʒ/ can be devoiced in careful speech. Focusing on front tongue position and a clean /ndʒ/ helps stabilize the ending.
A unique feature is the final /ndʒ/ cluster after a short /ɪ/ vowel, which can blur if the speaker moves too quickly. You’ll benefit from a precise tongue tip contact for /d/ and a quick, single glide into /ʒ/ with slight palatalization. Keep the /l/ light and the /æ/ at a stable height, then snap to /ndʒ/ without adding extra vowel sounds.
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- US: keep a bright /æ/ from the jaw-down; the /dʒ/ should land as a firm, voiced ending with a clear release. - UK: slightly tighter vowels; keep /æ/ near /a/ and minimize glottalization; ensure /ndʒ/ is crisp rather than merged with a following syllable. - AU: flatter vowel space; avoid over-raising the tongue; maintain a soft, forward /æ/ and a clean /ndʒ/ with a short /ɪ/ in the middle. IPA anchors: US /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/, UK /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/, AU /ˈtʃælɪndʒ/.
The word challenge comes from the Old French word chalenge, which meant accusation or public dispute, and ultimately from the Frankish *chalanja*, related to the Latin calumnia via a sense of asserting or calling into dispute. In Middle English, chalenge referred to a claim or dispute raised in court. By the 14th century, it broadened to mean a demand for proof or a call to fight or compete. The modern sense of a task that tests one’s abilities emerged later, influenced by legal and athletic contexts where a person is invited to confront an opponent or to prove themselves. The pronunciation shifted through English variants, with the first syllable typically stressed in most varieties, while vowel quality and the final cluster -enge influenced by orthographic changes. First known uses appear in legal and literary texts of the 14th–15th centuries, evolving from disputation toward the contemporary concept of a challenge as both a test and an invitation to action.
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Words that rhyme with "challenge"
-nge sounds
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