2 syllables: Earth, quake. Stress on Earth.
URTH-kwayk
/ˈɝθˌkweɪk/
Earthquake is pronounced URTH-kwayk (/ˈɝθˌkweɪk/). It has two syllables (Earth-quake), with the stress on "Earth". Earthquake (noun) refers to a sudden, violent shaking of the ground caused by movements within the earth or eruptions near its surface. It can also describe a seismic event of any scale, including data or systems disruptions. In everyday use, it often appears in discussions of natural disasters, geology, and emergency planning. The term is widely understood and neutral in tone, suitable for technical and general contexts.
nounEarthquake (noun) refers to a sudden, violent shaking of the ground caused by movements within the earth or eruptions near its surface. It can also describe a seismic event of any scale, including data or systems disruptions. In everyday use, it often appears in discussions of natural disasters, geology, and emergency planning. The term is widely understood and neutral in tone, suitable for technical and general contexts.
"The earthquake damaged several buildings and left residents frightened but unharmed."
"Scientists studied the aftershocks to understand the fault line better."
"Emergency drills include earthquake safety procedures such as drop, cover, and hold on."
Pronounce as two morphemes: EARTH + QUAKE. IPA US: ˈɝθˌkweɪk; UK/AU: ˈɜːθˌkweɪk. Start with a clear /ɝ/ or /ɜː/ vowel, then /θ/ (tongue between teeth), soft /r/ if American, then /kweɪk/ with /kwaɪ/ offglide. Stress on the first syllable: EARTH- quake. Tip: keep the /θ/ steady and avoid conflating with /θw/ clusters. Audio reference: consult a pronunciation tool or native speaker recording for the two-syllable rhythm.
Common errors: (1) Slurring the /θ/ into /t/ or /s/, (2) Mispronouncing the second syllable as /ˈkwiːk/ or /ˈkweɪk/ with a weak onset, and (3) Dropping the /ɪr/ in the first syllable for non-rhotic speakers. Correction: practice the /ɝ/ or /ɜː/ vowel clearly, place the tongue between teeth for /θ/, then land the /k/ and /weɪk/ with a crisp /k/ onset. Speak in a steady two-beat rhythm to maintain the hiatus between syllables.
In US English, earth sounds like /ɝː/ with rhotic /r/ influence, yielding /ˈɝθˌkweɪk/. In many UK accents, /ɜː/ without rhoticity gives /ˈɜːθˌkweɪk/. Australian tends toward /ˈɜːθˌkweɪk/ with non-rhotic tendencies but clear plosive /k/ and diphthong /eɪ/. The secondary stress remains on the second element only in poetic or emphatic use, but standard speech holds primary stress on EARTH. Mouth positions are similar across accents for /θ/ and /k/; vowel length and rhoticity mainly shift. IPA references: US ˈɝˌθ? (see above) vs UK ˈɜːθˌkweɪk; AU ˈɜːθˌkweɪk.
The difficulty stems from the first syllable /ɝː/ (r-colored mid-central vowel) and the /θ/ fricative, which is produced with the tongue between the teeth—an uncommon placement for many learners. The transition from /θ/ to /k/ creates a tight, rapid cluster, and the /eɪ/ diphthong in /kweɪk/ requires a clean glide. For non-native ears, distinguishing /θ/ from /t/ or /f/ and keeping stress stable can be challenging.
Why is the second syllable spelled -quake but pronounced -kweɪk, and do Americans sometimes reduce the second syllable? The -quake spelling aligns with quake /kweɪk/, so the phonetic realization is /kweɪk/. In rapid speech, some speakers may slightly compress or blend, but the primary stress remains on EARTH. The /k/ onset is always explicit to avoid confusion with ‘earth-quake’ compounding. IPA reminder: /ˈɝθˌkweɪk/ or /ˈɜːθˌkweɪk/.
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Earthquake derives from the combination of earth and quake. The word earth comes from Old English eorthe, cognate with German Erde and related to Proto-Germanic ertho-; quake comes from Middle English quaken, from Old English cwacian or a related root meaning to tremble. The compound likely crystallized in early modern English as geologists and seismologists formalized the term for a planetary-scale shaking event. Early writings described tremors with descriptors like ‘earth shake’ before standard spelling consolidated as ‘earthquake.’ Its use expanded with scientific exploration in the 19th century and with popular media in the 20th and 21st centuries as earthquakes became more widely reported. The term fits within a broader class of natural-hazard nomenclature and remains a precise technical term in geology and disaster science, while also permeating everyday language to describe unexpected upheavals or dramatic disruptions.
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Words that rhyme with "Earthquake"
-ake sounds
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