4 syllables: co, or, di, nates. Stress on or.
koh-AWR-duh-nuhts
/koʊˈɔɹdənəts/
coordinates is pronounced koh-AWR-duh-nuhts (/koʊˈɔɹdənəts/). It has four syllables (co-or-di-nates), with the stress on "or". Coordinates refers to the numerical values that specify a position in a given space, or the act of coordinating elements to work together. As a noun, it can denote a set of numbers used for locating a point; as a verb, it means to bring different parts into proper order or alignment. In context, it often appears in science, mathematics, navigation, and project planning. The word emphasizes precise placement and organized relation between elements.
Coordinates refers to the numerical values that specify a position in a given space, or the act of coordinating elements to work together. As a noun, it can denote a set of numbers used for locating a point; as a verb, it means to bring different parts into proper order or alignment. In context, it often appears in science, mathematics, navigation, and project planning. The word emphasizes precise placement and organized relation between elements.
"- The GPS unit showed the coordinates of the exact landing zone."
"- The team coordinates the project timeline to avoid delays."
"- In mathematics, you plot the coordinates (x, y) on the graph."
Coordinates is pronounced ko-OR-di-nates with stress on the second syllable in the verb form and the first syllable in some noun uses. Phonetically: /kəˈɔːrdənˌeɪts/ in US, /kɔːˈɔːdɪnˌeɪts/ in UK, and /kɔːˈɔːdɪnˌeɪts/ in Australian speech. Start with a schwa or reduced vowel in the first syllable, then a clear /ɔːr/ in many accents, followed by /ən/ and ending /eɪts/. Mouth positions: lips relaxed, tongue centered for the first syllable, tip of the tongue near the alveolar ridge for /d/ in the third syllable, and a final crisp /eɪts/. Audio reference: you can compare with Cambridge or Forvo pronunciations to hear native variations.
Common mistakes include stressing the wrong syllable and flattening the /ɔː/ to a short /ɒ/ or /ɔ/. Also, speakers sometimes merge /ɔːr/ into /ɒr/ or reduce the /d/ and /eɪts/ into a quick /deɪts/ without the /n/ pause. Correction: emphasize the /ɔːr/ cluster with a clear mid-back rounded vowel, maintain the /ən/ before the final /eɪts/, and enunciate the final /ts/ or /ts/ as two crisp consonants. Practice with slow, then normal tempo to lock the rhythm.
In US English, the second syllable carries emphasis: /kəˈɔːrdənˌeɪts/. UK English often shows /kɔːˈɔːdɪnˌeɪts/, with a more open /ɔː/ and a clearer /d/. Australian tends to preserve /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ in the first stressed syllable and may merge some vowels, yielding /kɔːˈɔːdɪnˌeɪts/. All share the final /eɪts/; rhotics differ: US is rhotic, UK non-rhotic. Focus on the /ɔːr/ vs /ɔː/ sequences and the /ɪ/ vs /ə/ in the third syllable.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure with alternating stressed syllables and a combination of a dense consonant cluster (/ˈɔːr/ and /n eɪts/). The shifting stress between noun and verb forms can cause hesitation. Additionally, the mid-back vowel /ɔː/ and the /d/ + /n/ sequence can blur in fast speech. Focusing on syllable isolation and practicing with minimal pairs helps overcome these challenges.
A unique aspect is its dual function as noun and verb with variable stress patterns (COOR-di-nates vs co-OR-di-nates). The presence of a post-stem /-nates/ ending can lead to a subtle pause before the final /eɪts/. Paying attention to the cluster /ɔːr/ and the following /dən/ is key to natural pronunciation, plus ensuring crisp final consonants /t s/.
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Coordinates derives from the French coordinate, from coordonner, meaning to arrange or bring into order, and ultimately from the Latin co- (together) + ordinare (to arrange, order). The sense developed in mathematics and geography by the 16th-17th centuries, where coordinates refer to systems that locate points using ordered pairs (and later triples) of numbers. The noun usage—“coordinates” as a set of numbers—gained prominence with coordinate geometry and cartography, where precise positional data is essential. The verb form to coordinate—aligning actions or items—emerges from the concept of arranging elements in relation to a common plan. First known uses appear in early modern mathematical texts and diplomatic/navigation treatises that discuss mapping and the organization of data points. Over time, the term broadened into everyday speech in planning, logistics, and computer-based positioning systems, retaining its core sense of order, alignment, and relative positioning.
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Words that rhyme with "coordinates"
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