2 syllables: dic, tate. Stress on tate.
dik-TAYT
/dɪˈkteɪt/
dictate is pronounced dik-TAYT (/dɪˈkteɪt/). It has two syllables (dic-tate), with the stress on "tate". Dictate means to lay down authoritatively commands or rules, or to transcribe speech as dictated by someone. It can also refer to giving orders in a commanding tone or having something written at your dictation. The term emphasizes authority, control, and exactness in transmission of speech or instruction.
Dictate means to lay down authoritatively commands or rules, or to transcribe speech as dictated by someone. It can also refer to giving orders in a commanding tone or having something written at your dictation. The term emphasizes authority, control, and exactness in transmission of speech or instruction.
"The professor dictated the lecture notes to the assistant for transcription."
"During the meeting, the manager dictated several policy changes to the staff."
"The witness had to dictate her statement to the secretary after the incident."
DICT-ate is stressed on the first syllable. IPA: US [ˈdɪkˌteɪt], UK [ˈdɪkˌteɪt], AU [ˈdɪkˌteɪt]. Start with a clear /d/ followed by a short /ɪ/ as in bit, then a strong /k/ before a long /eɪ/ glide to /t/. End with a crisp /t/. Think: DIC-kayt with two syllables, the second forming a light touch to /t/.
Common mistakes: (1) Slurring the vowel in the first syllable, making /dɪ/ sound too short or unclear; ensure a clear /ɪ/ like in 'sit'. (2) Dropping the /t/ at the end or turning the final /teɪt/ into /teɪ/ or /teɾ/. Practice: pronounce /ɪk/ then sharply release into /teɪt/. (3) Misplacing stress, saying di-CT-ate or DIK-tate with wrong rhythm. Keep primary stress on the first syllable and secondary on the second to preserve rhythm.
In US, UK, and AU, /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/ is consistent: primary stress on DICT, then a clear /teɪt/; rhoticity doesn’t alter this word much since it ends with /t/. In careful UK pronunciation you may hear crisper final /t/ with slightly less vowel length in the second syllable. Australian tends toward a shorter, quicker /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/ with vowel qualities influenced by Australian vowel shifts but still maintains the two-syllable rhythm and final /t/ release.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm with a strong vowel in the first syllable and a tense, long vowel in the second (/ˌteɪ/). The /d/ and /t/ are voiceless stops that require crisp, precise articulation, especially in rapid speech. The gliding /teɪ/ can be softened in casual speech, which makes it easy to mispronounce as /teɪ/ or /teɪd/ if you don’t avoid final consonant intrusion.
Is there any silent letter in dictate? No. The word has no silent letters. It’s pronounced with two audible syllables: /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/. The challenge is balancing the vowel length of /ɪ/ in the first syllable and the monophthongal /eɪ/ in the second while keeping crisp two-syllable timing.
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Dictate comes from the Latin dictare, meaning to state or declare, from dicere, to say. It entered English in the late Middle English period via French dictate. The root dic-, dicere means to say or speak. Historically, dictate carried the sense of commanding or ordering someone to proceed with what they should write or narrate. In classical usage, dictation involved a speaker who narrates and a scribe who writes exactly as spoken. Over time, the word broadened to include not only the act of giving orders but also the act of transcribing spoken words, i.e., taking dictation. The noun dictate emerges from the verb sense, while the noun dictation (the act of transcribing) shares the same root. First known usage in English dates to the 14th-15th centuries, aligning with medieval practices of court and administrative command, and later expanding into general bureaucratic and professional contexts. In modern English, dictate retains both senses: to order or command authoritatively, and to transcribe spoken words, especially in dictation exercises or medical/legal contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "dictate"
-ate sounds
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