One syllable: Chord.
kawrd
/kɔɹd/
Chord is pronounced kawrd (/kɔɹd/). It has one syllable (Chord), with the stress on "Chord". Chord is a noun referring to a group of (typically three or more) notes played together in harmony, a musical beam or line, or a structural string or rope that binds components. It denotes the sound formed when tones are simultaneously sounded, often forming a harmony or chordal structure in music, or a curved line in geometry. The term emphasizes combined pitch relationships rather than single tones.
nounChord is a noun referring to a group of (typically three or more) notes played together in harmony, a musical beam or line, or a structural string or rope that binds components. It denotes the sound formed when tones are simultaneously sounded, often forming a harmony or chordal structure in music, or a curved line in geometry. The term emphasizes combined pitch relationships rather than single tones.
"The guitarist played a bright C major chord."
"In the chord progression, the IV and V chords lead back to the tonic."
"She strummed a gentle, open D minor chord."
Chord is pronounced with a single syllable: /kɔrd/ in US and UK. Start with a hard /k/ like 'kite,' then a mid-back rounded vowel /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ as in 'caught,' followed by a short /r/ sound and a silent-ish or light /d/ release. Your mouth forms a rounded, open mid-back vowel, then a quick alveolar /r/ and a final light /d/. Tip: avoid aging it to /t/ or /d/; keep the /rd/ cluster crisp. Audio resources: listen to Cambridge or Forvo pronunciations and replicate the flow in your speech.”,
Two frequent errors: (1) treating the vowel as /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ without rounding, leading to /kɒd/ instead of /kɔːd/; ensure a rounded back vowel /ɔ/ and length as in 'caught.' (2) pronouncing the final /d/ with a heavy plosive or letting the /r/ color creep into the vowel in non-rhotic accents; keep a clean /rd/ blend. Practice by isolating the vowel sound with a prolongation: hold /ɔː/ then glide into /rd/ with a light tongue retraction for the /r/.”},{
In General American, it’s /kɔrd/ with rhotic /r/. In many UK accents, it’s /kɔːd/ or /kɔːd/ with non-rhotic tendencies in some varieties; the /r/ may be less pronounced in coda position, or dropped depending on accent. Australian typically aligns with UK/US vowels around /ɔː/ but may show slight vowel centralization in rapid speech; the /r/ remains postvocalic in rhotic contexts. For all, the main differences are vowel length and rhoticity of the /r/ before the final /d/.”},{
Because the vowel is a mid-back rounded /ɔː/ that sits between /ɒ/ and /oʊ/ for many speakers, plus the /rd/ cluster requires quick tongue retraction and precise alveolar contact; non-native speakers often delay the /r/ or merge it with the vowel. Additionally, the final /d/ can be intrusive in rapid speech, turning it into a near-d or a palatalized variant. Focus on the rounded back vowel and keep the /r/ non-syllabic until you hit /d/.
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Chord comes from the Old French chorde, from Latin chorda meaning ‘rope, cord, string,’ itself from Greek khorde ‘cord, rope, string, musical string.’ In English, early uses referred to a string or rope; by the 17th century, it broadened to a group of notes sounded together. The musical sense emerged as theorists described vertical sonorities as “chords” to coordinate harmony. The term was cemented in music theory in the 18th–19th centuries with developments in harmony, chord progressions, and triads. Its semantic drift from physical cord to sonic combination reflects a metaphorical mapping: a set of elements bound by a common relation produces a cohesive, unified sound. First known use appears in 14th–15th century manuscripts in Western Europe, where chorde or corde described both strings and musical pitches linked by harmony. Over time, the concept of chords matured with equal temperament tuning and formalized chord notation, making it foundational in Western music theory.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Chord" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Chord"
-ord sounds
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