2 syllables: cur, tail. Stress on tail.
kur-TAYL
/kɚˈteɪl/
curtail is pronounced kur-TAYL (/kɚˈteɪl/). It has two syllables (cur-tail), with the stress on "tail". Curtail means to cut short or restrict something, often to reduce extent, duration, or flexibility. It implies a deliberate limitation or narrowing of scope, duration, or freedom. The term is commonly used in policy, budget, and discourse about resources or rights, conveying a sense of constraint or deprivation. Originating from a sense of curbing or restraining, it carries a formal, somewhat administrative tone.
Curtail means to cut short or restrict something, often to reduce extent, duration, or flexibility. It implies a deliberate limitation or narrowing of scope, duration, or freedom. The term is commonly used in policy, budget, and discourse about resources or rights, conveying a sense of constraint or deprivation. Originating from a sense of curbing or restraining, it carries a formal, somewhat administrative tone.
- You: You might over-emphasize the second syllable, turning the word into something like /kɜːrˈteɪl/ with equal emphasis; instead, keep primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈkɜːr.teɪl/. - You: Another common error is smoothing the /t/ into a d-like sound in fast speech; ensure a crisp alveolar /t/ before the /eɪl/. - You: Some speakers omit the rhotic /r/ in the first syllable (especially in non-rhotic accents), giving /ˈkɜː.teɪl/; maintain clear rhoticity in rhotic contexts or adjust to your target accent. Correction tips: practice with deliberate pacing, hold the /ɜːr/ longer, then release into /teɪl/. Use minimal pairs and syllable-timed drills to stabilize rhythm.
"The government plans to curtail spending for nonessential programs."
"Her trip was curtailed due to unforeseen weather conditions."
"The manager decided to curtail the meeting to 30 minutes."
You pronounce it as /ˈkɜːr.teɪl/ in US and UK variants, with the primary stress on the first syllable. Start with a mid-back lax vowel in the first syllable (like 'cur-'), then a clear diphthong in the second syllable '-tail' (/eɪ/). Tip: keep the /r/ light and avoid linking the r to the following vowel in non-rhotic contexts. Practicing slowly: k-ɜːr.teɪl, then speed up while keeping the vowel quality precise and the /t/ as a crisp alveolar stop.
Common errors: 1) Sloppy first syllable vowel becoming a schwa (/kəˈteɪl/), losing the /ɜː/ quality. 2) Turning 'tail' into /taɪl/ with a stronger /ɪ/; the correct is /teɪl/. 3) Dropping the /r/ in rhotic accents or misplacing it in non-rhotic contexts. Correction: keep /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ in the first syllable, ensure the second syllable is /teɪl/ with a crisp /t/ and long /eɪ/. Practice with minimal pairs: curtail vs curtail (rare variant) cannot; focus on vowel and R-coloring in your accent.
In rhotic accents (most US varieties), the /r/ is pronounced in the first syllable: /ˈkɜːr.teɪl/. In non-rhotic British English, you may hear a non-rhotic link in the first syllable, sounding closer to /ˈkɜː.t(eɪ)l/ with a weaker or elided /r/ before a vowel. Australian English tends toward /ˈkɜː.teɪl/ with a clear, monophthongal /ɜː/ and a crisp /t/; the /r/ is non-rhotic. The second syllable maintains /teɪl/ across accents, with slight vowel height differences in UK vowels.
The difficulty centers on the /ɜː/ vowel in the first syllable and the /t/ transition into /eɪl/. In many dialects, the r-colored vowel can be challenging to produce accurately, especially when followed by a clear /t/ onset. Additionally, the /eɪ/ diphthong can vary in length and quality depending on the speaker’s accent. Focusing on a tight, mid-back vowel and a crisp alveolar stop, while keeping the two-syllable rhythm intact, helps stabilize pronunciation across contexts.
No, curtail is fully phonemic: the letters correspond to sounds /ˈkɜːr.teɪl/. There are no silent letters. The first syllable has the /k/ and /ɜːr/ components, and the second syllable clearly carries /teɪl/. The stress is on the first syllable. Ensure you articulate the /r/ in rhotic accents and move smoothly to the /t/ and /eɪl/ without pausing.
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- US: pronounce /ˈɜr.teɪl/ with noticeable rhotic /ɜr/ and a clear /teɪl/. The /ɜ/ may be taught as mid-central with rhotic coloring. - UK: non-rhotic tendency; you may hear a shorter /ɜː/ with less rhotic emphasis, but still break into /teɪl/. - AU: generally rhotic but with a flatter /ɜː/ vowel; keep /t/ crisp and /eɪl/ as a single glide. In all: stress on first syllable; ensure /t/ is not flapped and the /eɪ/ remains a clean diphthong. IPA references: US /ˈkɜːr.teɪl/, UK /ˈkɜː.teɪl/, AU /ˈkɜː.teɪl/; focus on rhoticity in US, non-rhoticity in UK.
Curtail derives from Old French cuerteil or cuerteil, from cuer (body, tail) and -tail from Latin talea (rod, cutting piece) via medieval legal language implying trimming or cutting back. In English, the term appears in the 14th–15th centuries as a verb meaning to cut short or restrain, often used in legal or administrative texts. Its metaphorical sense of “restrict” evolved from the physical act of curtailing a garment or rope to limit length. By the 17th–18th centuries, curtailment broadened to include policies, budgets, and rights, becoming a common formal term in governance and organizational discourse. Over time it retained a precise, sometimes bureaucratic tone, frequently paired with nouns like spending, freedoms, or privileges. The word’s core notion—shortening, reducing, constraining—remains central across usages, from everyday speech to high-level policy analysis.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "curtail" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "curtail"
-ail sounds
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