2 syllables: cor, rect. Stress on rect.
kur-EKT
/kɚˈɛkt/
correct is pronounced kur-EKT (/kɚˈɛkt/). It has two syllables (cor-rect), with the stress on "rect". Correct means accurate or true, or to make something right by removing errors. It can describe a fact, decision, action, or the act of correcting something that’s wrong. In everyday use it can function as an adjective (the correct answer) or a verb (to correct a mistake). The term connotes alignment with a standard or expectation and implies improvement or repair.
Correct means accurate or true, or to make something right by removing errors. It can describe a fact, decision, action, or the act of correcting something that’s wrong. In everyday use it can function as an adjective (the correct answer) or a verb (to correct a mistake). The term connotes alignment with a standard or expectation and implies improvement or repair.
- You may inadvertently compress the two syllables into a quick /kɒrekt/ or /kərekt/. Focus on a brief schwa before the primary stressed syllable. - The second syllable /ˈrekt/ is the core; avoid reducing it to /ˈrɛk/ or merging with the first syllable. Separate with a brief pause or natural boundary in careful speech. - When reading aloud, don’t let the /t/ disappear; ensure clear release at the end, especially before punctuation. Practice the exact /k/ at the start and the hard /t/ finish.
"- Please check your calculations and correct any mistakes before submitting the report."
"- The teacher corrected the student’s pronunciation to help them sound more natural."
"- He tried to correct the misalignment of the shelves by adjusting the level."
Break it as /kə-ˈrekt/ in US and UK. The initial /k/ is a hard voiceless stop, followed by a schwa /ə/ in the first syllable. The second syllable carries the primary stress: /rekt/ with a rhotic-less vowel before /r/ in non-rhotic accents; in rhotic accents the /r/ is pronounced. Mouth positions: start with a relaxed jaw, velar stop, then a quick syllabic lift to /ˈrekt/. See audio example in Pronounce or YouGlish for native pace.
Two common errors: rushing the second syllable so the /k/ and /t/ blend with weak vowel sounds, and misplacing stress, saying /ˈkɒrɛkt/ or /kə-ˈrɛkt/. Correct approach: clearly separate /kə/ and /ˈrekt/, keep the second syllable strong and reduce the vowel to a clear schwa in quick speech. Practice slow, then gradually increase speed while maintaining the stressed syllable plateau.
In US, /kə-ˈrekt/ with clear /ɜ/ or /ə/ in first syllable and rhotic /r/ in the second. UK tends to be non-rhotic in many varieties, so the /r/ at the end may be less pronounced, sounding /kə-ˈrekt/ with a weaker or silent post-vocalic /r/. Australian often approximates /kə-ˈrekt/ with slightly more centralized vowels; the final /t/ can be released or lightly tapped in rapid speech. IPA: US /kəˈrekt/ or /kɚˈrekt/, UK /kəˈrekt/, AU /kə-ˈrekt/.
Because the second syllable requires a sharp stress and the /kt/ cluster at the end is a challenging consonant sequence for rapid speech. The vowel in the first syllable may reduce to schwa in fast speech, which can blur between /ə/ and /ɪ/. Additionally, non-rhotic accents reduce the /r/ and can alter vowel coloration, making the word sound near-homophonic with nearby words. IPA guidance helps lock positions: /kəˈrekt/.
In many non-rhotic accents (some UK varieties), the final /t/ is still released clearly in careful speech but can be flapped or glottalized in casual speech. In American pronunciation, the final /t/ often releases as a soft tap [ɾ] when preceded by a vowel, but when preceded by /k/ and followed by a pause, you’ll hear a full aspirated [t]. So you’ll likely hear /kəˈrekt/ with a crisp /t/ in careful speech, and a lighter or unreleased end in rapid conversation.
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- US: emphasize /ˈrekt/ with rhotic /r/ before it; keep a relaxed /ə/ in the first syllable and a clear, tense /e/ in the second. - UK: more clipped, less pronounced /r/; ensure /t/ is released distinctly; place primary stress on the second syllable. - AU: similar to US but with slightly more centralized vowels; maintain the schwa in first syllable and crisp /t/ at the end; watch vowel length before /k/ and /t/.
The word correct comes from the Latin corrēctus, past participle of corrēctus, from corrigere ‘to set right, adjust’ (composed of cor- ‘together, with’ + regere ‘to guide, rule’). In Late Latin, corrigere became corrēctus, used of correcting text and behavior. The Old French acorcher/correc̄t, and Medieval Latin forms carried into English as correct, with semantic drift toward “made right” or “free of error.” By Middle English, correct also carried the sense of “conforming to a standard” and began to be used as both verb and adjective. Through centuries, the usage broadened from textual correction to general accuracy, alignment with rules, and ethical or procedural propriety. The term is now embedded across education, law, science, and daily speech, frequently paired with “correct answer,” “correct procedure,” or “corrective action.” First known English attestations appear in technical and scholastic writing from the 14th–15th centuries, aligning with Latin and French scholarly influence that shaped English legal and academic diction. Modern usage retains the core sense of alignment with a standard, with subtle nuances depending on context (correction of errors, affirmation of truth, or endorsement of appropriateness).
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Words that rhyme with "correct"
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