2 syllables: Ea, ger. Stress on Ea.
EE-gur
/ˈiɡɚ/
Eager is pronounced EE-gur (/ˈiɡɚ/). It has two syllables (Ea-ger), with the stress on "Ea". Eager is an adjective describing a strong, enthusiastic desire to do or have something. It conveys lively interest and readiness, often with an upbeat or urgent edge. The word foregrounds mental energy and motivation, typically implying anticipation of action or experience.
adjectiveEager is an adjective describing a strong, enthusiastic desire to do or have something. It conveys lively interest and readiness, often with an upbeat or urgent edge. The word foregrounds mental energy and motivation, typically implying anticipation of action or experience.
- You might overextend the second syllable and insert extra vowel sounds, turning /ˈiːɡər/ into /ˈiː.ə.ɡər/. To fix, practice the tight, two-part sequence: /ˈiː/ immediately followed by /ɡ/ with a single, brief release, then /ər/ or /ə/ depending on accent. - Another error is pronounced with a dull or silent final /r/ in rhotic accents. Practice finishing with a light, vibrating /ɹ/ or reduce to /ə/ in non-rhotic contexts. - Some learners misplace the tongue for /ɡ/, articulating a softer /ɟ/ or a /dʒ/ sound. Focus on a hard velar stop immediately after /iː/, releasing into the schwa. Use mirror work to monitor mouth positioning.
How to Pronounce Eager
"She was eager to start her new project and dove in without hesitation."
"The audience grew more eager as the speaker revealed the closing results."
"He gave an eager nod when the plan finally came together."
Pronounce as /ˈiːɡər/ in US and UK; in Australian English you’ll hear /ˈiːɡə/. Start with a long /iː/ as in “see,” then the /ɡ/ as in “go,” followed by a schwa /ər/ or /ə/ in British and Australian variants. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Tip: keep the tongue high for /iː/ and then quickly drop to /ɡ/ without an extra vowel between, finishing with a relaxed /ə/ or /ər/ depending on rhoticity.
Common errors include breaking into two full syllables with an extra vowel (e.g., /ˈiː.ə.ɡər/), inserting an extra /j/ sound (like /ˈiːdʒər/), or omitting the final /r/ in rhotic accents. Correction: keep the sequence /ˈiː.ɡər/ with the /ɡ/ immediately after the /iː/, and in rhotic accents allow the /r/ to color the final syllable or reduce to schwa only if following a vowel-influenced pattern.
In US and UK, /ˈiːɡər/ with rhotic or non-rhotic trailing /r/ depending on accent; the second syllable is a schwa-like /ər/ in rhotic US, and /ə/ in non-rhotic accents. Australian English tends toward /ˈiːɡə/, with a reduced or non-rhotic ending. The first syllable maintains a tense, long /iː/; the middle /ɡ/ is a hard stop. Overall, vowel length and rhoticity are the main differences to focus on.
The difficulty lies in tightening the transition from the long /iː/ to the /ɡ/ without inserting an extra vowel and ensuring the final /r/ is produced or reduced consistently with the target accent. Nail the quick, clean onset of /ɡ/ after /iː/ and avoid a trailing glottal stop that can obscure the /r/ in rhotic varieties. IPA guidance helps anchor the transitions: /ˈiːɡər/ (US) vs /ˈiːɡə/ (UK/AU).
A key nuance is the presence of a tense, high-front vowel followed by a velar stop. In careful speech, you’ll emphasize the /iː/, then snap to /ɡ/ with a short, crisp release, and finish with a schwa or rhotic vowel depending on locale. The main search-friendly note is the heavy first syllable stress and a light, quick second syllable, which shapes the word’s characteristic energy.
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- US: /ˈiːɡɚ/ with rhotic /ɚ/. Maintain a strong start on /iː/ and a crisp, unreleased but clear /ɡ/ onset. - UK: /ˈiːɡə/ often non-rhotic, final /ə/ less colored by r-sound. - AU: /ˈiːɡə/ with reduced ending; keep /iː/ long but relaxed /ə/ rather than a full /ɚ/. IPA reminders: ensure /iː/ is tensely held, /ɡ/ is a hard stop, and the ending is schwa or /ə/ depending on rhoticity. - Common cross-dialect tips: keep jaw moderately closed for /iː/, avoid lip rounding that could dull the vowel, and keep a clean, short velar stop rather than a nasalized or aspirated release.
Eager traces to the Middle English word eger, which meant “more sharp or keen,” from the Old French aseur, ultimately connected to Latin acer, meaning “sharp, keen.” In Early Modern English, eager carried the sense of ardor and fervor, often in the figurative sense of “sharp in desire.” By the 15th–16th centuries, it shifted toward describing a person’s keenness or readiness to act, rather than a raw physical sensation. The English form evolved with the addition of the -er agentive suffix, culminating in the modern adjective form used to characterize attitude or disposition. The term’s semantic field has consistently centered on intensity of interest, appetite, or willingness, and it often collocates with verbs of readiness, like “be eager to,” “grow eager,” and “eagerly anticipate.” First known print uses appear in English dictionaries and moralistic prose from the 1500s onward, solidifying its place in everyday speech as a positive marker of motivation and zeal.
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Words that rhyme with "Eager"
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