2 syllables: Drain, age. Stress on Drain.
DRAY-nuhj
/ˈdɹeɪnədʒ/
Drainage is pronounced DRAY-nuhj (/ˈdɹeɪnədʒ/). It has two syllables (Drain-age), with the stress on "Drain". Drainage is a noun referring to the system or process by which water or other liquid is drained away, or to the channel or conduit that carries away excess liquid. It can also describe the act of draining or the waste liquid itself. In medical or technical contexts, it may denote a pathway or opening that allows drainage from a body or structure.
nounDrainage is a noun referring to the system or process by which water or other liquid is drained away, or to the channel or conduit that carries away excess liquid. It can also describe the act of draining or the waste liquid itself. In medical or technical contexts, it may denote a pathway or opening that allows drainage from a body or structure.
How to Pronounce Drainage
"The city is upgrading its drainage system to prevent flooding after heavy rainfall."
"A clogged drainage pipe caused water to back up into the kitchen."
"The surgery involved placing a drainage tube to remove excess fluid."
Drainage is pronounced /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ/. The main stress is on the first syllable: DRAIN-ij. Start with the long A as in 'day,' then a soft r-like sound, followed by a near-schwa in the second syllable and the -dʒ sound as in 'judge.' For audio reference, listen to examples on Forvo or YouGlish, and compare with 'drain' + 'age' separately to hear the blending.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying dreɪˈnɪdʒ), pronouncing the second syllable as a long vowel (dray-NAGE), or articulating the final -dʒ as -tʃ. Correct it by keeping the first syllable with /dreɪ/ and shortening the second syllable to /nɪdʒ/. Practice with minimal pairs like drain/ drainage and ensure a crisp /dʒ/ at the end. Recording yourself helps confirm the right rhythm.
In US/UK, the first syllable is stressed: /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ/. The /r/ is rhotically pronounced in US accents, and non-rhotic in many UK varieties, but the /r/ pairing in /dreɪn/ remains similar in most dialects. Australian English tends to have a clipped /ə/ in unstressed syllables and may reduce the second syllable slightly. Across accents, focus on the /dreɪ/ onset, then a quick /nɪdʒ/ coda with a clear /dʒ/.
Two challenges stand out: the jaunt of the /eɪ/ diphthong in /dreɪ/ and the final affricate /dʒ/. The blend between /ɪ/ and /dʒ/ in the second syllable can blur in rapid speech, making it sound like /drændʒ/ if rushed. Practice by isolating /dreɪ/ and then adding /nɪdʒ/ with a sharp, brief /dʒ/. Mouth position should end with a bite-like closure for /dʒ/.
The word has a strong initial CVVC onset /dreɪ/ where the diphthong /eɪ/ draws the mouth from mid-open to near-close position, followed by /nɪdʒ/. A unique factor is maintaining a clear boundary between /n/ and /dʒ/ to avoid running them together as /ndʒ/. Keep the /n/ light and the /dʒ/ as a crisp affricate, so the syllables stay distinct.
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US: rhotics with clear /r/; diphthong /eɪ/ robust; /dʒ/ as in judge. UK: non-rhotic or reduced /r/; keep /eɪ/ but slightly shorter; final /dʒ/ clear. AU: vowel heights slightly flatter; /eɪ/ may be more centralized; final /dʒ/ remains. IPA references: /ˈdreɪnɪdʒ/ across regions, with potential /ˈdrɛɪnɪdʒ/ rarely heard. Tips: exaggerate the /eɪ/ slightly in practice to stabilize the diphthong; ensure final /dʒ/ is crisp rather than softened to /dʒə/.
Drainage derives from the verb drain, formed earlier from Old English dranian or drenian, related to the Proto-Germanic dranijanan (to drain). The noun drainage emerged in Middle English as a process or system that carries off water or other liquids. The core idea centers on removing unwanted liquid, especially in agriculture, civil engineering, and medical contexts. The term gradually broadened to include channels or conduits designed for this purpose, and in modern usage, it also denotes the liquid that has been drained or the opening through which drainage occurs. The word shares roots with other Germanic terms related to emptiness or withdrawal, and its usage expanded with urban infrastructure developments and plumbing technology. First known uses appear in engineering and medical writings of the 16th–18th centuries, where drainage systems and drainage tubes were described in detail to prevent stagnation and infection. Over time, drainage also gained metaphorical senses in various fields, but in everyday language it almost always signals the removal of liquid through a designed path or device.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Drainage" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Drainage" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Drainage"
-age sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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