koh-AH-pruh-tivz
/koʊˈɑpɹətɪvz/
cooperatives is pronounced koh-AH-pruh-tivz (/koʊˈɑpɹətɪvz/). Cooperatives are member-owned businesses or organizations that operate for the benefit of their members, emphasizing democratic decision-making and shared profits or services. They function across sectors, including agriculture, housing, and retail, sharing resources and risks. The term encompasses plural entities that adhere to cooperative principles such as voluntary and open membership, democratic control, and concern for community.
Cooperatives are member-owned businesses or organizations that operate for the benefit of their members, emphasizing democratic decision-making and shared profits or services. They function across sectors, including agriculture, housing, and retail, sharing resources and risks. The term encompasses plural entities that adhere to cooperative principles such as voluntary and open membership, democratic control, and concern for community.
- You might place primary stress on the wrong syllable, saying co-OP-er-a-tives instead of ko-OP-er-a-tives. Fix by asserting the -per- as the core stressed unit. - The -er- vowel in the middle can become an unstressed schwa or a clipped vowel; keep it relaxed but distinct from the first syllable. Practice with minimal pairs to hear the difference between /ˌkoʊ.əˈpɝ.eɪ/ vs /ˌkoʊ.əˈpeə.rə.tɪvz/. - The final -tives ending can be mispronounced as -tiv or -tives without the z; ensure you vocalize the final /vz/ clearly. Use word-final voice or s-voicing to maintain the plural ending.
"The town formed several cooperatives to support local farmers and reduce waste."
"Worker cooperatives empower employees to vote on major decisions."
"Cooperatives often reinvest profits to improve services for members and the community."
Pronounce as /ˌkoʊ.əˈpɝ.eɪ.tɪvz/ (US) or /ˌkəʊ.əˈpeə.rə.tɪvz/ (UK). Break it into syllables: co-OP-er-a-tives with primary stress on the second to last syllable: -per-. The sequence involves a clear schwa or mid vowel in the first syllable, a stressed mid- to close-mid vowel in -per-, and a final -tives with a 'vihz' ending. You’ll want the final z sound for the plural. Audio reference: consult Cambridge or Forvo for speaker variants.
Common errors include misplacing the primary stress on the -per- or mispronouncing the -tive- cluster as -tiv- or -tive-s. Also, conflating the middle -er- with an eco-friendly 'er' like farm- or 'coo' sounds. To correct: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /ˈɒ/ or /ˈoʊ/ leading into /ˌpəˈreɪ/ and finalize with /tɪvz/. Practice with minimal pairs using the o-sounds and ensure the final /z/ vocalization.
In US English, you’ll hear primary stress on the -per- syllable with a rhotacized vowel in -er- (/ˌkoʊ.əˈpɝ.eɪ.tɪvz/). UK and Australian accents tend to reduce the first vowel to a schwa and maintain non-rhoticity in some speakers, giving /ˌkəʊ.əˈpeə.rə.tɪvz/ (UK) and /ˌkəʊ.əˈpeə.rə.tɪvz/ (AU) with less rhotic coloring; the final -tives remains /tɪvz/ or /tɪv/ depending on liaison. Stress pattern stable on -per-. Audio guides from Pronounce or YouGlish illustrate these variants.
Difficulties center on the multi-syllabic length, the cluster -per-a- that slides into -tives, and the final consonant cluster /vz/. The second syllable houses a stressed vowel that can be mispronounced as a short schwa or mis-stressed, and the -tives ending can be mistaken as -tiv or -tives with a non-voiced end. Focus on segmenting: co-o-per-a-tives, stress on -per-, and final z sound. IPA cues: /ˌkoʊ.əˈpɝ.eɪ.tɪvz/ (US). Practicing with word breaks helps importantly.
A unique feature is maintaining the two mid vowels before the -per- and the -a- cluster merging smoothly into -tives, avoiding a harsh break between /əˈ/ and /pɝː/ or /ˈpeə/. The challenge is keeping the -er- relaxed and not turning it into a separate phoneme or a separate syllable. Practice linking: co- + -per- + a + -tives with natural schwa and a precise final /z/.
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- US: Keep rhoticity in vowels, especially in -er-, make the /ɝ/ sound clearly during the stressed syllable; ensure the final /vz/ as a voiced consonant cluster. - UK: Non-rhotic tendency; the -er- becomes /ə/ or /ɪə/ depending on speaker; keep the -tives ending as /tɪvz/ or /tɪv/? often realized as /tɪvz/ in careful speech. - AU: Similar to UK but with broader vowel qualities; maintain linking between syllables and preserve the -er- as /ə/ or /ɜː/ depending on region. IPA guides show aspirated stops; keep stress on -per- and final /z/. - IPA references: /ˌkoʊ.əˈpɝ.eɪ.tɪvz/ (US) vs /ˌkəʊ.əˈpeə.rə.tɪvz/ (UK/AU). Practicing with native speaker examples helps you capture prosody.
The word cooperative comes from the French coopératif, from Late Latin cooperativus, from Latin cooperare 'to work together'. The English form cooperativ- expanded in the 19th century to describe voluntary associations that operate for the common good. The plural cooperatives developed to describe multiple such organizations. The core idea rests on cooperation (from Latin cooperare, ‘to work together’), with -ive forming adjectives and -s marking plural nouns. Early 19th-century social reform movements used the term to define organizations that combined mutual aid with economic activity. The earliest recorded usage in English of cooperative sense dates to the early 1800s, aligning with cooperative movements in Britain and France that emphasized mutual aid, shared ownership, and democratic governance. Over time, the spelling solidified as cooperatives when referring to multiple such entities and their participatory, member-driven structure. The concept’s global spread in the 20th century expanded the term to agricultural co-ops, credit unions, housing co-ops, and worker-owned co-ops, reinforcing the collaborative ethos across economies and languages.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "cooperatives" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "cooperatives" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "cooperatives"
-ive sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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