3 syllables: Cor, ri, dor. Stress on Cor.
KAW-ruh-dur
/ˈkɔɹədɚ/
Corridor is pronounced KAW-ruh-dur (/ˈkɔɹədɚ/). It has three syllables (Cor-ri-dor), with the stress on "Cor". Corridor is a long passage inside buildings that connects rooms or larger spaces. It serves as a thoroughfare, often with doors opening along its length, and is designed for people to move between areas. The term emphasizes the architectural linear route rather than a room itself.
nounCorridor is a long passage inside buildings that connects rooms or larger spaces. It serves as a thoroughfare, often with doors opening along its length, and is designed for people to move between areas. The term emphasizes the architectural linear route rather than a room itself.
"She walked down the corridor, headphones on, heading toward the conference rooms."
"The hotel corridor smelled of fresh carpet and cleaning solution."
"An emergency exit is located at the far end of the corridor."
COR-ri-dor. Primary stress on the first syllable /ˈkɔːrɪˌdɔːr/ in US; in many British accents it reduces to /ˈkɒrɪdɔː/. The 'or' in the first syllable is open rounded, the 'ri' is a short, quick schwa-like or short i depending on accent, and the final 'dor' rhymes with 'door'. For clarity: /ˈkɒr.ɪ.dɔː/ (UK) and /ˈkɔːrɪ.dɔː/ (US). Audio reference: use Pronounce or Forvo recordings matching your preferred variant.
Mistake 1: Shifting stress to the second syllable (co-RI-dor). Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable: COR-ri-dor. Mistake 2: Pronouncing the middle 'ri' as a full long vowel /ri/ instead of a short /ɪ/; correction: reduce the middle vowel to a quick /ɪ/ or schwa-like sound in rapid speech. Mistake 3: Final '-dor' pronounced as 'dore' or 'door' with an extended /ɔː/; correction: keep the final /ɔːr/ with a light /r/ in rhotic accents.
In US English you typically hear /ˈkɔːrɪˌdɔːr/, rhotic with clear /r/ in all positions. UK English often reduces the middle vowel to /ɪ/ and yields /ˈkɒrɪdɔː/ or /ˈkɔːrɪdɔː/ with less pronounced rhoticity in non-rhotic varieties. Australian English resembles UK in many speakers but can glide vowels and maintain a clear final /ɔːr/. Pay attention to rhoticity, vowel height of the first syllable, and the short middle vowel.
The difficulty lies in the rapid articulation of COR- and -dor, with a mid-central or short vowel in the middle and a final rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent. The contrast between the open back vowel in the first syllable and the short /ɪ/ or schwa in the second, plus the trailing /dɔːr/ can be tricky in connected speech. Focus on keeping the first syllable strong and the middle vowel short and crisp.
Yes. The first syllable carries primary stress and uses an open back vowel /ɔː/ in many varieties; the middle 'ri' is typically a short vowel /ɪ/ or schwa, and the final 'or' is a rounded, long vowel /ɔːr/ or /ɔː/. The word's rhythm is three syllables in English: COR-ri-dor, with a quick, light middle sound that helps avoid a staccato feel in fluent speech.
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Corridor comes from the French coridor, ultimately derived from the Italian corridore, meaning 'a runner' or 'a passage' from Latin currere 'to run'. The earliest English usage appeared in the 17th century, initially referring to a gallery or passage connecting rooms in a building, often with doors along its length. Over time, the sense narrowed to the architectural corridor: a long, narrow passage designed for movement, rather than a space for occupancy. The word consolidated in architectural vocabulary during the 18th and 19th centuries as modern indoor layouts evolved, distinguishing corridors from halls, galleries, and stairwells. Contemporary usage retains its structural meaning across homes, offices, hotels, and public buildings, sometimes adopting figurative senses such as a corridor of history or a corridor of options in a metaphorical sense.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Corridor" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Corridor" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Corridor"
-dor sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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