Eisteddfod is a Welsh festival of music and poetry, traditionally held annually in Wales. The term denotes a competitive gathering where participants perform songs, narratives, and poems, often judged by experts. The word itself has a deep cultural resonance and is used as a proper noun for these regional celebrations.
"The village organized an Eisteddfod to showcase local singers and poets."
"She won first prize at the Eisteddfod with a stirring piano recital."
"During the Eisteddfod, you’ll hear a mix of Welsh hymns and modern performances."
"The Eisteddfod attracts contestants from across Wales and beyond."
Eisteddfod comes from Welsh words eisteddfod and eisteddfod, derived from the earlier term eistedd in the sense of sitting. Historically, it referred to a formal seated assembly or session of praise, over time evolving into a large-scale competitive festival blending music, poetry, and performance. The modern Welsh Eisteddfod dates back to the 12th–14th centuries in various forms, but the current national festival traditions were consolidated in the 19th and 20th centuries as Welsh national identity strengthened. The term itself encapsulates the cultural emphasis on
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Words that rhyme with "Eisteddfod"
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Pronounce as /ˈaɪ.stɛd.dɒd/ (UK) or /ˈaɪ.stɛd.dɔd/ (US) with three syllables: EIS-ted-dod. Emphasize the first syllable, keep the middle 'd' light, and end with a clear 'dod' without a silent consonant. Mouth positions: open front for 'Eis', then a light alveolar stop 't', and a final open back 'dod'.
Common errors: treating it as two Tet syllables with a hard 't' after the middle vowel, or collapsing the middle 'td' cluster into a single 't' or 'd'. Correction: break into three beats: EI-STED-DOD, ensure the alveolar 't' is pronounced, and maintain a light, quick middle consonant cluster rather than a full syllable. Practice with a slight pause between ED and DOD to keep the rhythm.
In UK English you’ll hear /ˈaɪ.stɛd.dɒd/ with a back rounded 'ɒ' and non-rhotic ending. US English shifts to /ˈaɪ.stɛd.dɔd/ with an open 'ɔ' at the end and a rhotic or slightly stronger 'd' ending. Australian tends toward /ˈaɪ.stɛd.dɒd/ with a broader 'ɔ' and smoother vowel transitions. The middle 'td' cluster remains a challenge across all accents.
The difficulty comes from the Welsh-influenced consonant cluster after the first syllable and the short треть consecutive consonants: the middle 'td' cluster and the final 'd' may blur together. Also, different vowels in Welsh are preserved in English contexts: the diphthong in the first syllable can vary. Focus on isolating the three-syllable rhythm and keeping the final /d/ audible.
The unique feature is the three-syllable breakdown (EI-STED- DOD) with a crisp, light mid consonant cluster, and the preservation of a Welsh digraph-like sound sequence in the middle. It’s not pronounced as a simple two-syllable word; you should keep a short but audible 'td' and articulate the final 'od' rather than slurring it.
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