3 syllables: En, ve, lope. Stress on En.
EN-vuh-lohp
/ˈɛnvəˌloʊp/
Envelope is pronounced EN-vuh-lohp (/ˈɛnvəˌloʊp/). It has three syllables (En-ve-lope), with the stress on "En". Envelope (noun) refers to a flat paper container for a letter or document, or a cover that encloses something. It can also denote the outer boundary or enclosing shape of something, or, in finance, a theoretical boundary for pricing. In everyday use, it most often means the rectangular mail wrapper addressed for sending. The term emphasizes containment and boundary in various contexts.
nounEnvelope (noun) refers to a flat paper container for a letter or document, or a cover that encloses something. It can also denote the outer boundary or enclosing shape of something, or, in finance, a theoretical boundary for pricing. In everyday use, it most often means the rectangular mail wrapper addressed for sending. The term emphasizes containment and boundary in various contexts.
"Please put the letter in an envelope before you mail it."
"The envelope design features a subtle pattern and a gold seal."
"We opened the envelope to read the confidential notes."
US: /ˈɛnˌvoʊləp/ (two primary syllables with a light secondary stress on -vo-, though often realized as three syllables in careful speech). UK: /ˈɒnˌvɛləp/ or /ˈɛnˌvoʊləp/ in some accents; Australians typically align with /ˈɛnvəˌləp/ with a slightly reduced second vowel. Focus on starting with a clear short ‘e’ as in “end,” then a rounded ‘vo’ vowel, and end with a soft ‘lɒp’ or ‘ləp’ depending on accent.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (trying to stress the second syllable too strongly in some fast speech) and mispronouncing the second vowel as a full ‘o’ instead of a schwa-like /ə/ in the third syllable. Correction: keep /ˌvoʊ/ as a distinct, tight diphthong and reduce the final syllable to /ləp/ or /ləp/ depending on rhythm; avoid turning it into /ɪnˈvɛləp/ or /ˈɛnvləp/ by over-adding a consonant cluster. Practice: say ‘EN-vo-ləp’ with clear onset on EN, then lightly curl the tongue for /l/ before /ə/.”,
US: /ˈɛnˌvoʊləp/ with primary stress on EN; rhotic R not involved. UK: /ˈɒnˌvɛləp/ or /ˈɛnˌvɛləp/, may emphasize the second syllable slightly; non-rhotic r; vowel qualities differ (short /ɒ/ or /ɛ/). AU: /ˈɛnvəˌləp/ or /ˈɛnˌvəˌləp/, with a more centralized /ə/ in the middle and less pronounced final consonant or slight vowel reductions. Across accents, the vowel in the second syllable shifts (oʊ vs ɛ) and the position of primary stress can feel slightly shifted due to rhythm patterns.
The difficulty stems from the multi-syllabic structure and the consonant cluster at the end with /vp/ or /p/ after a diphthong, which makes the timing of syllables tricky. The middle /ə/ or /ə/ vowel can reduce in casual speech, blurring syllable boundaries. Also, non-native speakers often misplace the primary stress, either stressing the second syllable too much or flattening the vowel in the middle. Practicing with clear IPA cues and slow speed helps anchor the correct rhythm.
In standard American/British English, the final ‘e’ is not pronounced as a separate vowel; it helps distinguish spelling from pronunciation but is not heard as a separate sound. The ending is typically /p/ with preceding schwa or a reduced vowel. In careful speech you’ll hear a light /ə/ before /p/: /ənˈvoʊləp/ or /ˈɛnˌvoʊləp/; in rapid speech it may sound like /enˌvoʊləp/ with a barely audible schwa.
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Envelope comes from the French envelopper, meaning ‘to wrap, to cover.’ The verb enveloper itself stems from the Latin envelopere, composed of en- (in, on) and volvere (to roll, wrap). By the 17th century, English borrowed envelop, meaning to wrap or surround; envelope as a noun acquired its “outer covering” sense in the 18th century, paralleling other wrapped or enclosing items. The term traces a path from action (to wrap) to object (the wrap itself), with usage expanding into metaphorical and technical senses (outer boundary, protective covering, or boundary of a field). The first known use in English for envelope as the noun likely appears in the 17th or 18th century dictionaries, with a formalization of postal usage by the 19th century, when standardized mail packets required a specific wrapper name. In contemporary usage, envelope remains both tangible (paper mailer) and figurative (boundary, perimeter, or enclosing layer).
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Words that rhyme with "Envelope"
-ope sounds
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