3 syllables: cir, cu, late. Stress on cir.
SUR-kyuh-layt
/ˈsɝkjəˌleɪt/
circulate is pronounced SUR-kyuh-layt (/ˈsɝkjəˌleɪt/). It has three syllables (cir-cu-late), with the stress on "cir". Circulate means to move continually or freely through a closed system or area, or to pass from person to person or place to place. It implies ongoing motion or distribution within a region or group. In physiology or medicine it can describe the flow of blood or other substances, while in information contexts it can describe ideas or rumors spreading among people.
Circulate means to move continually or freely through a closed system or area, or to pass from person to person or place to place. It implies ongoing motion or distribution within a region or group. In physiology or medicine it can describe the flow of blood or other substances, while in information contexts it can describe ideas or rumors spreading among people.
- Misplacing stress on the second syllable (ciR-cu-late) or flattening the first syllable’s vowel; ensure the primary stress is on the first syllable: CIR-/ˈsɜːr/. - Slurring the /kj/ cluster, producing /k/ or /t/ instead of the palatal /kj/; practice the /kj/ onset with a light glide from /ɜː/ to /kj/. - Reduced middle syllable: in rapid speech the middle ‘cu’ can shrink to a schwa; you want a distinct /kju/ or /kjə/ before /leɪt/ to keep the word clear.
"The air in the room will circulate if the fan runs for a few minutes."
"Rumors circulated quickly after the meeting, reaching every department."
"Blood circulates through the body via the heart and vessels."
Pronounce as SUR-kyə-layt (US) or SUR-kyə-lət in fast speech; the primary stress is on the first syllable CIR-, with the second syllable reduced in rapid speech. IPA (US/UK/AU): US /ˈsɝ.kjə.leɪt/ or /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/, UK /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/, AU /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/. Focus on making the /ɜː/ or /ɝ/ vowel in the first syllable clear, then move the tongue to /kj/ for the “cie-” cluster and finish with /leɪt/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (say si-CUR-late), mispronouncing the /ɜː/ or /ɝ/ as a short /ɪ/ or /ə/. Another frequent slip is pronouncing the /kj/ as a simple /k/ or /g/ blend. Corrections: emphasize the first syllable with /ˈsɜːr/ or /ˈsɜː/; produce the /kj/ as a clear ‘kyoo’ move /kjə/; finish with /leɪt/. Practice the sequence CIR-kyə-late to maintain the correct rhythm.
US tends to a rhotic /ɝ/ in the first syllable with clearer /r/ after the vowel: /ˈsɝ.kjə.leɪt/. UK often shows a non-rhotic /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/ with a shorter, tighter /ɜː/ and a smoother /lj/ transition. Australian tends toward /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/ with non-rhoticity and a fronted vowel slightly closer to /ɜː/. Across all, the stress remains on the first syllable; the /kj/ blend and final /eɪt/ are consistent, but vowel quality and rhoticity differ.
The challenge lies in the three-consonant cluster /kj/ after the stressed vowel, requiring a swift transition from a mid back/central vowel to a palatal approximant + alveolar stop sequence. The second syllable also reduces in rapid speech, which can blur the /ə/ or /ɪ/ sounds. Additionally, maintaining the correct duration on the first syllable while preserving a clear /leɪt/ at the end can be tricky in connected speech.
Is the middle syllable in 'circulate' pronounced as a reduced schwa or as /jə/? In careful, careful enunciation you’ll hear a weak syllable in the middle: typically /kjə/ where the second consonant cluster features a schwa-like nucleus between /kj/ and /lə/. In full pronunciation, /ɜr.kjuː.leɪt/ or /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/ you effectively glide from /kj/ into /ə/ before the final /leɪt/. This yields a light middle vowel that becomes even more reduced in casual speech.
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- US: emphasize rhotic vowel in first syllable, pronounce /ɝ/ clearly, keep /kjə/ before the final /leɪt/. - UK: non-rhotic: /ˈsɜː.kjə.leɪt/ with a longer /ɜː/; avoid adding extra r-coloring. - AU: similar to UK, but with slight diphthong adjustments; maintain /kjə/ in the middle and /leɪt/ final.
Circulate comes from the Latin circulare, meaning to go around or to form a circle, from circulus ‘little circle’ (circulus in Latin). The root circul- derives from circum- ‘around’ plus agere ‘to drive, to move.’ In English, circulate appeared in the late 15th century with senses tied to moving in a circle or moving in a circuit or network. By the 17th century, the term broadened to include the movement of blood through vessels and, later, the distribution of information or items through networks. The modern sense in everyday usage—‘to pass from person to person’ or ‘to be widely distributed’—developed as social and logistic systems became more complex. The word’s trajectory tracks the expansion of circulatory and dissemination concepts across science, medicine, publishing, and bureaucracy, retaining the core image of movement along a closed path or through a system.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "circulate" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "circulate"
-tle sounds
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