2 syllables: De, lay. Stress on lay.
dil-AY
/dɪˈleɪ/
Delay is pronounced dil-AY (/dɪˈleɪ/). It has two syllables (De-lay), with the stress on "lay". Delay (noun) refers to the act of postponing an action or event or the period of time by which something is delayed. It denotes hindrance or postponement, often resulting from a planned schedule being pushed back. In contexts like travel, operations, or communication, delay can imply an unexpected or announced extension of time.
nounDelay (noun) refers to the act of postponing an action or event or the period of time by which something is delayed. It denotes hindrance or postponement, often resulting from a planned schedule being pushed back. In contexts like travel, operations, or communication, delay can imply an unexpected or announced extension of time.
How to Pronounce Delay
"There was a three-hour delay at the airport due to weather conditions."
"The project experienced a delay while awaiting approval from management."
"Technological delays in the system caused customers to wait longer than expected."
Delay is pronounced /dɪˈleɪ/ in US, UK, and AU varieties. The first syllable is unstressed and reduced to /dɪ/ (short i as in 'sit'), while the second syllable carries primary stress /ˈleɪ/ with a long a vowel as in 'day' and a glide toward a softer ending. IPA: US/UK/AU /dɪˈleɪ/. Mouth: start with a light d sound, quick short i, then an open eɪ diphthong: lips slightly spread, jaw dropped to create the long /eɪ/; end with a mild y-glide as the vowel glides to a close.
Two frequent errors: (1) pronouncing it as two even syllables with equal emphasis like /ˈdeɪ.lɪ/ rather than /dɪˈleɪ/, flattening the stress. (2) Mispronouncing the second syllable as /lə/ or /ləɪ/ without the clear /eɪ/ diphthong. Correction: keep the first syllable short /dɪ/ and produce the second syllable with a strong /leɪ/ diphthong; practice by starting with 'deh-LAY' and ensuring the emphasis lands on the second syllable. Slow your tempo on the first syllable and use a crisp /eɪ/ vowel.
In American English, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable is near-close front lax, with strong /ˈleɪ/ on the second syllable and rhotic tolerance in connected speech. In British English, you’ll hear similarly /dɪˈleɪ/ but with slightly tighter articulation and non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech; the vowel quality in /eɪ/ may be more monophthongized in some regional variants. Australian English mirrors US/UK but with broader vowel shifts; the /ɪ/ and /eɪ/ may be slightly flatter and faster; overall, the stress pattern remains 2-syllable with secondary classification depending on region.
The difficulty rests on the contrast between the short, lax first syllable /dɪ/ and the elongated, precise /ˈleɪ/ second syllable; you must end with a clean /eɪ/ diphthong and not slip into /lɪ/ or /leɪɪ/. Additionally, the 'delay' requires a quick, hyphen-like transition between the consonant cluster and the diphthong; many speakers struggle to maintain the stress on the second syllable while keeping the initial /d/ crisp.
No silent letters; the word is fully pronounced with two syllables: /dɪˈleɪ/. The key feature is the stress on the second syllable and the clear /eɪ/ diphthong. Ensure you distinctly articulate /dɪ/ before the emphasized /ˈleɪ/. For non-native speakers, practicing with a clear break between syllables while maintaining natural connected speech helps avoid sounding uncertain or clipped.
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Delay comes from the Old French delai or delaie, from late Latin tardius meaning ‘slow’ or ‘late,’ and from the verb delays (to slow or hinder). The sense of postponement developed in English in the late Middle Ages, aligning with nautical and military terminology where holding ships or duties could push back schedules. By the early modern period, delay was common in law and commerce, referring to the act of putting something off. The shift from a physical slowness concept to a procedural postponement reflects broader administrative and logistical usage, including transportation, magistrate decisions, and communications. First known uses in English documents surface in the 14th and 15th centuries, with later expansions into technical vocabularies (shipping, rail, aviation) as reliability and scheduling became critical in complex systems.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Delay" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Delay" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Delay"
-ray sounds
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