3 syllables: di, gest, ive. Stress on gest.
deye-JES-tiv
/daɪˈdʒɛstɪv/
digestive is pronounced deye-JES-tiv (/daɪˈdʒɛstɪv/). It has three syllables (di-gest-ive), with the stress on "gest". Digestive is an adjective relating to digestion, or a noun referring to a digestive system product or process. It denotes things that aid or involve the breakdown and absorption of food in the body, and as a descriptor it often appears in medical, anatomical, or dietary contexts. The term conveys technical precision and is commonly used in clinical language and nutrition discourse.
Digestive is an adjective relating to digestion, or a noun referring to a digestive system product or process. It denotes things that aid or involve the breakdown and absorption of food in the body, and as a descriptor it often appears in medical, anatomical, or dietary contexts. The term conveys technical precision and is commonly used in clinical language and nutrition discourse.
- Focus on 2-3 phonetic challenges for digestive: correct placement of primary stress on the second syllable; accurate production of the /dʒ/ onset after the initial /d/; finishing with a clean /tɪv/ rather than a relaxed or merged ending. - Common missteps: saying di-GES-tive (stress on first syllable); mispronouncing /dʒ/ as /d/ or /j/; softening /t/ to /d/ or conflating /tɪv/ with /tɪf/. - Correction tips: practice with tongue position cues: for /dʒ/, lift the tongue blade to the palate quickly; hold the air for the /dʒ/ release; for /tɪv/, emphasize the stop and then a crisp /ɪv/; slow down and use a syllable-timed rhythm to maintain the middle stress. - Use drill phrases to reinforce: ‘digestive enzymes’, ‘digestive system’, ‘digestive health’, ‘digestive process’.
"The digestive system consists of the stomach, intestines, and associated organs."
"She followed a plan to improve her digestive health through fiber and hydration."
"Researchers studied a digestive enzyme to understand its role in breaking down fats."
Pronounce as di-JES-tiv with stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /dɪˈdʒɛs.tɪv/. UK: /dɪˈdʒɛs.tɪv/. AUS: /dɪˈdʒes.tɪv/. Start with a short, unstressed di- then a strong jess- as in 'jess-ty' merged with -tive. The onset is /dɪ/ followed by /ˈdʒɛs/ and ending with /tɪv/. Be sure to release the /t/ before the final /ɪv/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (dividing as di-DES-tive), mispronouncing the /dʒ/ as a plain /d/ or /j/ sound, and blending the /t/ and /ɪ/ into a quick /tɪ/ without clear vowel separation. Correct by ensuring the middle syllable carries primary stress and the /dʒ/ is produced with a single velar-palatal onset. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the /dʒ/ onset and the /t/ release.
US and UK share the /dɪˈdʒɛs.tɪv/ pattern with slight vowel quality differences in the first vowel and the mid vowel; US tends to a shorter /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a more open /ɛ/ in the second, while UK often features a slightly clipped /ˈdʒɛs/ and a clearer /tɪv/. Australian mirrors US vowel timing but may soften the /t/ to a dental-like stop before /v/. Overall rhotics and stress remain on the second syllable across regions.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable rhythm with trebling consonant cluster /dʒ/ after an initial /d/ and a final /v/ consonant with a trailing /ɪ/ vowel. The /dʒ/ onset requires a precise palatal approach; the /tɪv/ ending features an abrupt alveolar stop followed by a reduced vowel, which can blur in rapid speech. Keeping the stress on the middle syllable and articulating the /dʒ/ and /t/ clearly helps clarity.
There are no silent letters in digestive. The emphasis is on the second syllable, with a clear /dʒ/ onset and a pronounced /t/ before the final /ɪv/. Paying attention to the /ɪ/ in the last syllable and ensuring the /t/ is released distinctly helps avoid slurring the ending. IPA reference: US /dɪˈdʒɛs.tɪv/.
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- US: /dɪˈdʒɛs.tɪv/ with a rhotic influence on surrounding vowels; emphasize the /dʒ/ onset and the /v/ ending clearly. - UK: /dɪˈdʒe.stɪv/ slightly shorter middle vowel, clearer separation between syllables; keep the /t/ crisp before /ɪv/. - AU: /dɪˈdʒes.tɪv/ tends to flatter vowels; quick but not rushed, similar to US; may have softer /t/ release; maintain non-rhotic tendencies in connected speech. - IPA anchors: ensure /dʒ/ is a single segment; avoid delaying the /t/; keep final /v/ voiced. - Practical tips: place lips slightly rounded for the /dʒ/ and keep the jaw relaxed but controlled; practice with phrases that keep middle-stress prominent.
Digestive comes from the Latin digestivus, from digerere meaning to digest or dissolve, and the French term digestif. The word is formed from the Latin root digere, meaning to separate, set apart, or digest, combined with the -ive suffix forming an adjective. In English, digestive appeared in the medical lexicon in the late 16th to 17th centuries as a descriptor for things pertaining to digestion, particularly in anatomy and physiology. The term gained prominence with the growing study of human digestion and later in broader health and nutrition contexts. The sense of something that aids digestion, such as a digestive enzyme, emerged in the 19th century as medicine increasingly named functional components for body processes. The word’s evolution tracks the shift from anatomical description to functional categories within clinical and dietary discourse, retaining the core meaning of relating to digestion and the digestive system.
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Words that rhyme with "digestive"
-ive sounds
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