6 syllables: Ci, ne, ma, to, gra, phy. Stress on to.
sin-im-uh-TAH-gruh-fee
/ˌsɪnɪməˈtɑɡɹəfi/
Cinematography is pronounced sin-im-uh-TAH-gruh-fee (/ˌsɪnɪməˈtɑɡɹəfi/). It has six syllables (Ci-ne-ma-to-gra-phy), with the stress on "to". Cinematography is the art and technique of capturing motion pictures on camera, including composition, lighting, lens choice, and camera movement. It focuses on how scenes are visually framed and illuminated to tell a story, with a strong emphasis on consistency of style and mood. It’s a specialized field within filmmaking that blends technical skill with artistic sensibility.
nounCinematography is the art and technique of capturing motion pictures on camera, including composition, lighting, lens choice, and camera movement. It focuses on how scenes are visually framed and illuminated to tell a story, with a strong emphasis on consistency of style and mood. It’s a specialized field within filmmaking that blends technical skill with artistic sensibility.
"The cinematography in that award-winning film uses long takes and precise lighting to create atmosphere."
"She studied cinematography to understand how lens choice affects depth of field and color."
"The film’s cinematography has a signature look, driven by careful color grading and camera movement."
You pronounce it as /ˌsɪnəməˈtɒɡrəfi/ (US) or /ˌsɪnəməˈtɒɡrəfi/ (UK/AU). The primary stress is on the third syllable: si-nə-MA-tə-gra-phy, with secondary stress on the first syllable. Break it into four chunks: cin-e-ma-tog-ra-phy, but spoken as si-nə-MA-gram-? Note the proper sequence is si-nə-MA-TA-ɡrə-fi. Practicing slowly helps. For audio reference, listen to professional film-critique narrations or pronunciation tools that include this term in context.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplaced on the wrong syllable (e.g., si-NE-ma-TOG-ra-phy). 2) Slurring the -tography ending into -tography-; keep the -gra- and -phy- segments distinct. 3) Skipping or reducing vowel sounds in the unstressed syllables (cin-e-ma-). Correction: articulate each vowel in the unstressed syllables clearly or halve the syllables gradually but keep the rhythm intact: /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒɡ.rə.fi/ US or /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒɡ.rə.fi/ UK. Practice with a slow pace and use minimal pairs to lock the pattern.
US pronunciation typically reduces the second syllable to a schwa /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒɡrəfi/, with rhotic speech sounding /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒɡrəfi/. UK and AU often mirror US but may have a more clipped final 299-raphy sound and slightly different vowel quality in the -o- of ‘tography,’ yielding /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒɡ.rə.fi/ or /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒɡ.rəfi/. Australians may have a broader vowel in the first two unstressed syllables and a less pronounced final syllable. In all, the rhythm stays i-nə-MAH-grə-fee with emphasis on the third syllable.
Difficulties come from the long, multi-syllabic structure and the cluster -tɒɡrə-/ -tography where multiple consonants join quickly (t- and -gr- sequences). The unstressed vowels in si-nə make it easy to blur. The combination of a stressed middle syllable and a trailing -phy/-ography creates a rhythm that is unfamiliar if you’re not used to film terms. Practice with slow articulation, then increase pace while preserving the distinct segments /sɪ.nəˈtɒɡ.rə.fi/.
A unique aspect is the three central rapid consonant transitions: the -nə- to -tɒ- to -ɡr- sequences in the stressed syllable. The -ə- between consonants often reduces to a quick schwa, which can be subtle in fast speech. You should maintain a crisp /tɒ/ onset for the stressed syllable and avoid inserting extra vowels in the trochaic pattern. IPA: /ˌsɪ.nəˈtɒ.ɡrə.fi/.
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Cinematography derives from the Greek root kinēto-, meaning ‘motion’ and -graphia, meaning ‘writing’ or ‘recording.’ The term fuses kinēma (movement, motion) with graphia (writing). It entered English in the early 20th century, as moving pictures emerged and the need to describe the craft of capturing that motion became specialized. The concept evolved from general “motion picture photography” descriptions into a distinct discipline as film technologies advanced—from silent cinema to sound, then color, and finally digital imaging. First used in formal contexts around the 1910s–1920s during the rapid professionalization of filmmaking, the term was soon standardized in industry lexicon, with practitioners seeking to define the aesthetic and technical practices that produce consistent visual language in cinema.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Cinematography" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Cinematography" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Cinematography"
-phy sounds
-al) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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