3 syllables: En, tour, age. Stress on age.
ahn-tuur-AHZH
/ˌɑntʊˈɹɑʒ/
Entourage is pronounced ahn-tuur-AHZH (/ˌɑntʊˈɹɑʒ/). It has three syllables (En-tour-age), with the stress on "age". Entourage (noun) refers to a group of people who accompany and support an important person, such as a celebrity or senior figure. It can also denote the circle around a central figure seen as a collective or retinue. The term emphasizes the group’s proximity and potential influence in social or professional settings.
nounEntourage (noun) refers to a group of people who accompany and support an important person, such as a celebrity or senior figure. It can also denote the circle around a central figure seen as a collective or retinue. The term emphasizes the group’s proximity and potential influence in social or professional settings.
"The movie star arrived with a large entourage that included assistants and publicists."
"Her entourage helped coordinate security and scheduling at the conference."
"Despite his fame, he remained approachable to his entourage, who kept conversations warm and inclusive."
Pronounce as en-TOO-ruzh with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: ɛnˈtʊrɑːʒ, UK: ɒnˈtʊrəʒ, roughly ‘on-too-rahzh.’ Start with a light, unstressed first syllable, then a strong mid-back rounded vowel in the second syllable, ending with a voiced postalveolar fricative -ʒ like the ending in 'measure.' You’ll likely hear it as en-TUR-azh in fast speech; aim for clear separation of the second and third syllables to avoid a run-together, ‘entour-age’ mispronunciation. With practice, the /t/ and /ʒ/ become distinct rather than a softened blend.
Common errors include treating the second syllable as ‘too-rah’ with the stress on the third or misplacing the stress as en-TUR-azh, which can sound like a clipped word. Some speakers reduce the second syllable too much, merging /tʊ/ into a quick ‘to’ sound, giving en-tur-azh or en-tore-zh. Another pitfall is mispronouncing the final -ʒ; ensure you voice it as in ‘measure’ rather than a hard ‘j’ or ‘zh’ blend. Focus on maintaining a clear /t/ before /ʊ/ and a distinct /ʒ/ at the end.
In US English you’ll commonly hear ɛnˈtʊrɑːʒ with a strong second-syllable stress and a broader /ɑː/ in the final syllable. UK speakers may reduce the second vowel slightly and use a more mid-back /ɒ/ or /ə/ in the first vowel, while still keeping the stress on the second syllable; ending with a clear -ɑːʒ. Australian pronunciation tends to be similar to US but with slightly more centralized vowel qualities; you may hear a less open /ɑː/ sound and a softer final /ʒ/. Across all, the final -ʒ remains, but vowel quality and rhoticity influence overall rhythm.
The difficulty lies in the sequence ɛn-ˈtʊr-ɑːʒ where the primary stress shifts to the second syllable and the final /ʒ/ sound is less common in everyday speech, requiring precise tongue tip positioning behind the alveolar ridge and a voiced postalveolar fricative. The combination of a strong /r/ in British rhotic or non-rhotic varieties, plus a rounded /ʊ/ before it, can create a subtle vowel cluster that’s easy to flatten. Also, syllable final /ɑː/ needs adequate open-back quality to avoid a clipped finish.
Entourage has no silent letters; every letter contributes to the pronunciation, but the tricky part is the vowel sequence and the final /ʒ/. The letter combination -tʊr- leads to a tense, clipped /tʊr/ in American speech, while some accents may reduce /t/ slightly in rapid speech. The final -age spelling corresponds to the /ɑːʒ/ sound; focus on keeping /ɑː/ open and ensuring the /ʒ/ is voiced and not replaced by /dʒ/ or /ʒ/ blends.
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Entourage comes from the French entourage, initially meaning ‘attendents, attendants’ and literally ‘surrounding people.’ The French term derives from entourer, meaning ‘to surround’ (en- ‘in, surround’ + entourer ‘to surround, to accompany’). Adopted into English in the 17th century, the word retained its sense of a group in close proximity to a person of interest. Historically, entourages were formal retinues of nobility and high-status individuals who accompanied rulers or celebrities, serving roles from attendants to bodyguards. In modern usage, the word has broadened to any entourage associated with someone notable, including media figures, politicians, or executives. Over time, the nuance shifted slightly from a purely ceremonial retinue to a more informal, social circle that accompanies and supports. First known use in English traces to 17th- or 18th-century borrowings, typically cited in relation to court life and the entourages of aristocrats, evolving into contemporary usage seen in journalism and entertainment reporting. The core idea—people surrounding and assisting a principal figure—remains central across centuries, though the contexts have diversified from courtly to cultural and corporate settings.
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Words that rhyme with "Entourage"
-age sounds
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