3 syllables: com, pu, ters. Stress on pu.
kuhm-PYOO-turz
/kəmˈpjutɚz/
computers is pronounced kuhm-PYOO-turz (/kəmˈpjutɚz/). It has three syllables (com-pu-ters), with the stress on "pu". Computers are electronic devices that process data, perform calculations, and run programs. They range from personal desktops to large servers, enabling tasks from simple word processing to complex simulations. The word can refer to the devices themselves or to people who shop, build, or work with them; context determines whether it’s pluralized as a group or as individuals.
Computers are electronic devices that process data, perform calculations, and run programs. They range from personal desktops to large servers, enabling tasks from simple word processing to complex simulations. The word can refer to the devices themselves or to people who shop, build, or work with them; context determines whether it’s pluralized as a group or as individuals.
"I bought new computers for our office to replace the aging desktops."
"The lab uses several high-performance computers for data analysis."
"We discussed computer hardware and software during the break."
Pronounced kəm-PYOO-tərz in US and kəm-PYOO-təz in UK/AU. The primary stress is on the second syllable “PYOO.” The first syllable is a schwa (kə), the third syllable contains the rhotic ending in US English (/ərz/), while UK/AU often reduce to /tə/ or /təz/. IPA US: /kəmˈpjuːtərz/; UK/AU: /kəmˈpjuːtəz/.
Common errors: (1) stressing the first syllable as in com-PU-ters is wrong; correct is second-syllable stress. (2) Mispronouncing the /juː/ as /ju/; ensure the long /uː/ glide after /p/ yields /ˈpjuː/. (3) Final /ərz/ vs /əz/; US tends to /ərz/ while UK/AU may be /tə/ or /təz/ in fast speech. Corrections: practice kəm- PYOO- tərz, keep the /p/ plosive, and finish with a light rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent.
US: /kəmˈpjuːtərz/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ər/. UK/AU: /kəmˈpjuːtəz/, often non-rhotic in many UK varieties; final schwa becomes a syllabic /ə/ or /əz/. Vowel quality in /juː/ remains a long glide; Australians often have a slightly more open /ə/ in the first syllable and a broader vowel in /ɜː/ depending on region. Overall, main differences are rhoticity and final vowel reduction.
Two challenges: the /p/ followed by /j/ creates a dense consonant cluster /pjuː/ that can blur when said quickly; and the final /ərz/ or /əz/ depends on accent, so trailing vowels and rhotics differ. The middle /pjuː/ requires a precise lip rounding and a clear release from /p/ into /j/. Practicing slow, deliberate pronunciation of the /pjuː/ sequence helps avoid a rushed, muddled sound.
A unique aspect is the /juː/ glide after /p/ in the stressed syllable; many non-native speakers misplace the tongue for /j/ and mispronounce the vowel in /juː/. Focus on a clear /pj/ onset with a smooth transition from /p/ to /j/, keeping lips rounded for /uː/ and then transitioning to /tər/ or /təz/.
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Computers comes from the verb to compute, itself from the Latin computare, meaning to compute, sum up, or reckon. The root word is Latin computus (a calculation, account). The suffix -er denotes an agent, someone who performs an action, leading to ‘computer’ as a person or thing that computes. In the early 19th century, “computer” referred to human calculators; by the mid-20th century, with the rise of electronic devices, the term shifted to machines. The plural form computers emerged naturally as a class of devices or as multiple units. First known uses of ‘computer’ as a noun for a machine date from the 1940s, with earlier senses for people calculating by hand. The plural “computers” appears in technical and everyday language as computing devices proliferated in homes and offices. The word’s meaning broadened again with software, networks, and digitization, keeping the core concept of a device that computes data.
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Words that rhyme with "computers"
-ers sounds
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