3 syllables: dis, sip, ate. Stress on dis.
DIS-uh-payt
/ˈdɪsəˌpeɪt/
dissipate is pronounced DIS-uh-payt (/ˈdɪsəˌpeɪt/). It has three syllables (dis-sip-ate), with the stress on "dis". Dissipate means to scatter or disperse something, or to fade away until it is no longer noticeable. It often describes energy, heat, or fog breaking apart and vanishing over time. In legal or formal contexts, it can also refer to dissipating emotions or resources until they are exhausted or no longer present.
Dissipate means to scatter or disperse something, or to fade away until it is no longer noticeable. It often describes energy, heat, or fog breaking apart and vanishing over time. In legal or formal contexts, it can also refer to dissipating emotions or resources until they are exhausted or no longer present.
- You’ll often hear people mispronounce by turning the second syllable into a longer, drawn-out sound (di-SI-pate) or by stressing the first syllable (DIS-sip-ate). To fix: keep the stress on SIP and keep the /ɪ/ short, then end with /peɪt/ or /pət/ clearly.
- Another frequent error is pronouncing the ending as /-sɪpeɪt/ or slurring the /t/; practice ending with a crisp /t/ or a light /t/ in fast speech.
- Some speakers treat it like dis-sip-ATE with the second syllable as a weak vowel; use a stronger, shorter /ɪ/ in the middle and avoid elongating the /ɪ/.
"Mist from the morning fog began to dissipate as the sun rose."
"Her anger slowly dissipated after she took a few deep breaths."
"The crowd’s excitement dissipated once the main event concluded."
Pronounce as di-SIP-ate. IPA: US /dɪˈsɪpeɪt/, UK /dɪˈsɪpeɪt/, AU /dɪˈsɪpeɪt/. Emphasis on the second syllable. The first syllable is a quick, reduced 'di' and the 'sip' cluster uses a short i sound. Finish with a clear 'ate' as /eɪt/ in careful speech or /ət/ in fast speech. Mouth: start with a light d, release a short /ɪ/, then the stressed /ˈsɪ/ with a strong /peɪt/ or /pət/ ending.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress on the first syllable (di-SIP-ate vs DIS-si-pate). 2) Transforming the suffix to /-sɪpeɪt/ or mispronouncing /ˈsɪpeɪt/ by flattening the pitch. 3) Articulatory sloppiness in the /d/ or mispronouncing the /ɪ/ as a long /i:/. Corrections: stress the second syllable, keep the /ɪ/ short, pronounce /peɪ/ as a distinct /peɪ/ or /pət/ at the end in fast speech.
US/UK/AU share /dɪˈsɪpeɪt/ with similar stress, but rhoticity matters: US may pronounce the /ɹ/ in related forms; US and AU often retain a clearer /eɪ/ in the final vowel before t, while some UK speakers may slightly shorten the final /t/ and reduce the /eɪ/ to an /ə/ in rapid speech. Differences are subtle; the main variation is vowel length and final consonant release. Use careful enunciation in formal contexts.
Key challenges: the combination dis- + -sip- with a two-syllable irregular rhythm; the stressed vowel /ɪ/ occurs in a closed syllable before a consonant cluster, and the final -ate can be /eɪt/ or /ət/. People often misplace the stress to the first syllable, or pronounce the ending as -ate with a hard /t/. Focus on the portmanteau-like transition between /sɪ/ and /peɪt/.
There are no silent letters in the standard pronunciations of 'dissipate'. The ending -ate is typically pronounced /eɪt/ in careful speech and /ət/ in casual speech. The t is audible in cautious speech; in rapid speech, the t can be softer or slightly elided, but not truly silent.
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- US: You’ll often hear a clearer /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a crisp /t/ at the end; maintain non-rhoticity in careful speech but keep the final /t/ audible. - UK: Slightly more clipped ending; keep the /eɪ/ intact but allow a small reduction in the final consonant cluster. - AU: Similar to US; keep the /ɪ/ short and the final /t/ released but not overly aspirated. Note that Australian speakers may slightly lengthen vowels in stressed syllables; resist this in the middle syllable for accuracy.
Dissipate comes from the Latin dissipare, meaning to scatter, dissipate, or lay waste. The roots are dis- (apart) and simulare (to scatter, to scatter apart), with the sense of dissolving or dispersing something that is gathered or confined. The word entered English in the late 16th to early 17th century, preserving the core meaning of breaking apart or dissolving. Over time, it developed figurative uses in science (heat, fog, gas) and abstract senses (resources, tensions), maintaining the core notion of making something cohere no longer or spread out until it vanishes. In legal or formal writing, it keeps an implication of dispersal of energy, funds, or emotions, aligning with concepts like mitigation or dispersion rather than consolidation. The word has remained relatively stable in form, with the primary stress on the second syllable: dis-SIP-ate. First known uses appear in English as a combination of Latin roots through French intermediaries, reflecting its long-standing role in describing processes of breaking apart, dispersing, or fading away. The semantic drift toward fading or vanishing is especially prevalent in scientific and meteorological contexts, where dissipate describes the rapid thinning or disappearance of a phenomena like fog, heat, or vapor after an initial peak of intensity.
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Words that rhyme with "dissipate"
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