3 syllables: Com, po, site. Stress on po.
kuhm-PAH-zuht
/kəˈmpɑzət/
Composite is pronounced kuhm-PAH-zuht (/kəˈmpɑzət/). It has three syllables (Com-po-site), with the stress on "po". Composite (noun) refers to something made by combining two or more different parts or substances, creating a material, object, or concept with characteristics from its components. It also denotes a figure formed by combining separate parts into a whole. The term is common in science, engineering, and mathematics when describing amalgamated structures or datasets.
nounComposite (noun) refers to something made by combining two or more different parts or substances, creating a material, object, or concept with characteristics from its components. It also denotes a figure formed by combining separate parts into a whole. The term is common in science, engineering, and mathematics when describing amalgamated structures or datasets.
"The engineers tested a composite material to assess its strength and durability."
"Her research analyzed composite scores to gauge overall student performance."
"A composite image was generated by layering several photographs."
You say com-PO-zet with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /kəmˈpoʊzɪt/, UK /ˈkɒmpəzɪt/, AU /ˈkɒmpəzɪt/. Open the mouth slightly for /ɪ/ at the end, and round the lips for /oʊ/ in the second syllable. Think of it as two equal-stressed segments around the stressed syllable: /kəmˈpoʊzɪt/.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable (COM-po-zite) or the third syllable in nonstandard ways, and mispronouncing /poʊ/ as /poʊ/ with a lax vowel. Correct by ensuring secondary sound is a clear /poʊ/ with rounded lips in US, and avoid muting the second syllable. The target is /kəmˈpoʊzɪt/ with a strong, clear /ˈpoʊ/ and a light unstressed final /t/ or /ɪt/.
US rhymes the second syllable with /poʊ/ and reduces the final /t/ slightly; UK tends to a shorter /ə/ before /zɪt/ with less of a diphthong, giving /ˈkɒmpəzɪt/ or /ˈkɒmpəzɪt/ depending on dialect; AU mirrors UK but with a more centralized /ə/ and clear /t/, often sounded as /ˈkɒmpɔzɪt/ in some colloquial speech. Overall, US stress on the second syllable; UK/AU share closer /ɒ/ to /ə/ in some speakers.
The difficulty lies in placing primary stress on the second syllable while maintaining a clean, tense vowel in /poʊ/ and a concise final /t/. Also, the /m/ and /p/ adjacency can trip speakers into a too-strong /m/ before the /p/, creating a trailing sound. Practice with slowed syllables, isolating /kəm/ /ˈpoʊ/ /zɪt/ and then blend.
A unique aspect is the combination of the syllables with /poʊ/ as a clear, rounded vowel followed by /zɪt/. The word’s name in math and materials contexts requires precision: keep /z/ as a soft s-sound, not a buzzing /z/ that bleeds into /ɪ/.
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Composite comes from late Latin compositivus, from Latin compositus, past participle of componere “to put together,” comprising com- “together” and ponere “to place.” The word entered English in the 16th century mainly in mathematical and scientific contexts to describe things formed by combining parts. Its sense broadened into general use for anything made by uniting multiple elements, such as materials, ideas, or structures. The etymology mirrors a broader linguistic shift in Early Modern English when technical terms adopted from Latin and Greek roots became common in science and industry. Over time, composite acquired nuance beyond physical mixtures to include abstract composites like datasets, indices, and composite numbers in mathematics (numbers with more than one factor). First known uses appear in scholarly Latin-based texts that circulated in Europe, with English adoption increasing as industrial materials science developed. The word’s prefix “com-” (together) and root “pose/posit” (to place) reflects its core meaning of assembling elements into a unified whole.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Composite" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Composite"
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