4 syllables: con, cur, rent, ly. Stress on cur.
kuhn-KUR-uhnt-lee
/kəˈnkɝəntli/
concurrently is pronounced kuhn-KUR-uhnt-lee (/kəˈnkɝəntli/). It has four syllables (con-cur-rent-ly), with the stress on "cur". Concurrently means happening or existing at the same time as something else. It describes events, actions, or conditions that overlap temporally, often used in formal or technical contexts. The word emphasizes simultaneity and coordinated timing across parallel processes or activities.
Concurrently means happening or existing at the same time as something else. It describes events, actions, or conditions that overlap temporally, often used in formal or technical contexts. The word emphasizes simultaneity and coordinated timing across parallel processes or activities.
- 2-3 specific phonetic challenges: (1) Stress placement on the second syllable; (2) Accurate pronunciation of the rhotic /ɜr/ or non-rhotic realization; (3) Clear articulation of the -tly ending with the /t/ and /l/ in quick succession. - Correction tips: Practice with a slow rhythm, exaggerate the second syllable to feel the /ɜr/; keep /t/ audible before /l/; do not merge /t/ into /l/ or drop the /l/. Use short drills: say kən-ˈkər-ən(t)-li and gradually speed up, keeping timing stable and syllables even.
"The project progresses concurrently with its testing phase, allowing for faster iteration."
"Two committees were reviewing proposals concurrently, each focusing on different aspects."
"The software runs concurrently on multiple threads to optimize performance."
Pronounced kən-KUR-ənt-lee with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /kənˈkɜrəntli/; UK: /kənˈkɜːrəntli/; AU: /kənˈkɜːrəntli/. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then a stressed /ɜr/ in the second, a soft schwa, and a light /ntlɪ/ ending. Mouth position: relaxed lips, neutral tongue, then raise the mid-back tongue for /ɜr/ as in 'fur', end with a quick, light /li/.
Common errors: (1) Overemphasizing the first syllable, turning it into con-CUR- rent-ly with odd emphasis; (2) Dropping the /r/ or mispronouncing the rhotic vowel in /ˈkɜːr/; (3) Slurring the final -ly into a hard -li or reducing it to -ly without the reflexive /t/ and /l/ feel. Correction: keep the second syllable clearly stressed, pronounce /ɜr/ as in 'bird' for non-rhotic accents and with rhoticity in rhotic accents, and ensure a light but present /ntl/ cluster before /i/. Practise slow then natural speed to stabilize the rhythm.
In US English, /kənˈɜːrəntli/ with a rhotic /ɜr/ in the stressed syllable and a clear /tl/ before the final /i/. UK English tends to have a shorter /ɜː/ vowel, non-rhoticity reduces the rhotic ending, and the /t/ is often more separate; AU English usually mirrors US rhoticity but with slightly flatter vowels and a more clipped final -ly. Across all accents, the primary stress remains on the second syllable; the main variance is vowel length and rhoticity in /ɜr/ and the pronunciation of the post-stress syllables.
It's a multi-syllable adverb with a stressed central syllable and a consonant cluster (-tly) at the end. The difficulty lies in maintaining even tempo across five syllables, pronouncing the /ɜr/ vowel accurately, and avoiding reduced vowels or compressing the /tl/ cluster into a quick, unclear sound. Slow, precise enunciation of /kənˈɜrəntli/ with a clear /t/ before the /l/ helps; practice with minimal pairs and rhythm drills to lock in the pattern.
There are no silent letters in concurrently; every letter contributes to the sound. The sequence k-ənˈkɜrənt-ly uses all letters: c-o-n- c-u-r-r-e-n-t-l-y. The challenge is rendering the /nt/ cluster cleanly and not eliding the /t/ in the -nt- when spoken quickly. Practicing with slow enunciation and tapping the rhythm helps ensure the letters aren’t swallowed.
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- US: rhotic /ɜr/ in stressed syllable; keep an audible /r/ and a slight American 'er' quality, then glide to -ənt-ly. - UK: often weaker rhoticity; /ɜː/ in stressed syllable, with non-rhoticity shaping the vowel; /t/ may be released more crisply before /l/. - AU: similar to US in rhoticity, vowels slightly flatter; maintain /ɜː/ quality and keep /t/ clear before /l/. Use IPA anchors: US /kənˈɜrəntli/, UK /kənˈɜːrəntli/, AU /kənˈɜːrəntli/.
Concurrently derives from the Latin con- ‘together, with’ and current- ‘running, running with, flowing’ from the verb currere ‘to run’ (present participle currens). The prefix con- signals joint action, and -currently comes from Latin current-, akin to current in the sense of running, now extended metaphorically to mean ‘running at the same time.’ The earliest English use dates to the 17th century in scientific and philosophical writing, where scholars described processes occurring in tandem or paralelo. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, concurrent began appearing more broadly in law, mathematics, and logic to denote simultaneity, with -ly adverbial forms like concurrently emerging to describe actions happening at the same time with nuance of ongoing simultaneity. The term gradually expanded beyond strictly mechanical or temporal domains into everyday formal discourse, maintaining its sense of parallel timing across events, actions, or processes. By the late 20th century, concurrently was common in computer science, statistics, and multimedia to describe parallel execution, concurrent processes, and synchronized activities, solidifying its footprint in both technical jargon and general usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "concurrently" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "concurrently"
-ely sounds
-lly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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