2 syllables: en, gage. Stress on gage.
en-GAYJ
/ɛˈnɡeɪdʒ/
engage is pronounced en-GAYJ (/ɛˈnɡeɪdʒ/). It has two syllables (en-gage), with the stress on "gage". Engage means to participate in or become involved with something, to attract and hold someone's attention, or to occupy attention or action at a given time. It can also mean to involve someone in a conversation, activity, or conflict. The term is commonly used in business, education, and social contexts to describe proactive involvement or commitment.
Engage means to participate in or become involved with something, to attract and hold someone's attention, or to occupy attention or action at a given time. It can also mean to involve someone in a conversation, activity, or conflict. The term is commonly used in business, education, and social contexts to describe proactive involvement or commitment.
"She decided to engage with the community project to help improve local facilities."
"The speaker used a series of questions to engage the audience and keep them listening."
"Our new campaign aims to engage customers through personalized email offers."
Pronounce it as en-GAGE, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/. Start with the short 'i' in 'in' followed by a hard 'g' and the /eɪ/ diphthong, ending with /dʒ/ as in 'judge'. Think of the mouth preparing a brief /ɪ/ vowel, then a tight consonant block: /n/ + /ɡ/ + /eɪ/ + /dʒ/. Maintain a clear transition from the vowel to the final affricate for crisp syllable closure.
Two frequent errors: (1) Flattening the /eɪ/ into a short /e/ or mispronouncing the final /dʒ/ as /ʒ/ or /j/. (2) Placing primary stress on the first syllable (en-GAGE is incorrect). Correction: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /eɪ/ diphthong and a deliberate /dʒ/ release. Practice with isolation: /ɪn/ + /ˈɡeɪdʒ/ and ensure the /n/ + /ɡ/ cluster transitions smoothly into /eɪ/. Use minimal pairs like “engage” vs “in-gage” to feel the stress shift.
In standard US, UK, and AU, the core is /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/. The main difference lies in vowel quality and rhoticity: US tends to have a slightly stronger rhotic resonance and a crisper /ɡ/ release; UK and AU share non-rhotic tendencies in some dialects, but the word remains with a clear /ɡeɪdʒ/ ending. AU often features a marginally longer vowel in the diphthong /eɪ/ and a smoother transition into /dʒ/. Overall, the pronunciation remains largely consistent across these variants, with subtle vowel height and r-sound differences depending on the speaker’s locale.
The challenge centers on the tight /ɡ/ followed by the /eɪ/ diphthong and the final /dʒ/ cluster, which requires precise timing and tongue positioning. Specifically, you must avoid a soft /dʒɪ/ or sliding too early into the /dʒ/ release. Focus on the transition from the /eɪ/ vowel to the affricate, and keep the /n/ nasal from caving into the /ɡ/. Practicing the exact mouth shapes for /ɪn/ + /ˈɡeɪ/ + /dʒ/ helps stabilize the sequence.
A unique feature is the syllable boundary and the strong second-syllable stress, which can cause a listener to misplace emphasis if spoken with a flat intonation. The /ɡ/ must link clearly to the /eɪ/ diphthong, not be released prematurely or swallowed. Thinking of it as en-GAGE—where the second syllable carries the weight—helps you maintain natural rhythm and intelligibility, especially in connected speech.
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- US: maintain a rhotic voice with a clear, slightly stronger /ɹ/ influence before the vowel if applicable in your accent; keep /ɪn/ crisp and the /ˈɡeɪdʒ/ clearly enunciated. - UK: more non-rhotic tendencies may slightly lengthen the vowel quality, with a refined, mid-central onset for /ɪn/ and a precise /dʒ/ release. - AU: often more relaxed vowel timing; ensure the /eɪ/ retains its diphthongal glide, with a smooth /dʒ/ closure. All: keep the second syllable stressed, and avoid merging /ɡ/ into /eɪ/. IPA: /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/ across accents; note subtle vowel length differences and final consonant clarity.
Engage traces to the Old French engager, from en- ‘in, into’ + garcier, later garge (to pledge, engage, engage in battle), with roots in Germanic languages. The sense in English began in the 1500s as “to pledge, bind by oath” and later widened to mean “to engage in combat, to recruit, to attract, to involve.” By the 17th and 18th centuries, engage carried meanings of involving people’s participation, attention, or response, as well as placing someone under a contractual or binding obligation. Over time, it broadened through business jargon (engage customers, engage employees) and everyday speech (engage in conversation, engage with a task) to denote active involvement and commitment. The word’s evolution mirrors social shifts toward interactive relationships and active participation rather than passive receipt of information. The first known English usage appears in early modern texts, with formal legal and contractual connotations existing alongside more general, everyday uses. In contemporary usage, engage often implies an active, reciprocal form of involvement rather than passive presence, frequently paired with direct objects (engage with, engage in) to specify the locus of involvement.
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Words that rhyme with "engage"
-age sounds
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