3 syllables: Ep, i, logue. Stress on Ep.
EP-uh-lawg
/ˈɛpəˌlɔɡ/
Epilogue is pronounced EP-uh-lawg (/ˈɛpəˌlɔɡ/). It has three syllables (Ep-i-logue), with the stress on "Ep". As a noun, an ending section of a book, play, or film that wraps up the story and reveals final outcomes. It is typically set apart from the main text, often brief and reflective, and may provide commentary on themes or fates after the main events have concluded.
nounAn ending section of a book, play, or film that wraps up the story and reveals final outcomes. It is typically set apart from the main text, often brief and reflective, and may provide commentary on themes or fates after the main events have concluded.
How to Pronounce Epilogue
"The author added a moving epilogue to address the characters' futures."
"After the dramatic finale, the director released an epilogue explaining the backstory."
"Readers appreciated the epilogue for tying up loose ends and offering closure."
Pronounced ih-PIL-uhg, with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: ɪˈpɪl.əɡ. Start with a short, lax I as in 'sit', then a clear p, then a short i as in 'pin', followed by a light l and final schwa before a soft g. The final sound is a hard g as in 'go', not a j-sound. Audio reference: listen to standard pronunciations on Cambridge or Oxford, and the word will align to ɪˈpɪl.əɡ with a crisp -logue ending.
Common errors: 1) Stressing the first syllable (EH-pi-log) instead of the second (ih-PIH-log). 2) Slurring the middle vowel into a lazy schwa or mispronouncing the -logue as 'log' without the soft first syllable. 3) Pronouncing the final g as a hard 'j' or 'dʒ' sound; keep a hard g as in 'go' but with a light lip closure. Practice by isolating /ɪˈpɪl.əɡ/ and recording yourself to compare with reference audio.
Across US/UK/AU, the core stress and vowels are similar: ɪˈpɪl.əɡ. US speakers often maintain a clearer /ɪ/ in the first syllable and a crisp /ɡ/ end. In UK English, the final -logue segment can have a lighter /ɡ/ with less aspiration, and a slightly more centralized vowel in the first syllable. Australian speakers typically retain the same rhythm but may reduce the first syllable slightly, e.g., ɪˈpɪl.əɡ with subtle vowel quality shifts. All share the second-syllable stress.
The difficulty lies in the stress pattern and the final -logue portion. The second syllable carries primary stress, which can be overlooked when speaking quickly, leading to eh-PIE-log. The final -logue ends with a voiced velar plosive /ɡ/ that is often softened in rapid speech or mispronounced as /dʒ/. Maintaining a crisp /ɡ/ and the /l/ before the schwa helps clarity. IPA cues: ɪˈpɪl.əɡ; ensure l-to-u transition is smooth.
A distinctive question is whether the -logue syllable contains a strong or soft 'g'. In Epilogue, the final sound is a hard /ɡ/, not /dʒ/. Some learners also wonder about the vowel in the first syllable; it’s a lax short /ɪ/ as in 'pin'. The combination ih-PIL-əɡ is the standard pronunciation. Use the IPA cue ɪˈpɪl.əɡ and practice closing with a firm glottal or voiced g depending on speed, but avoid turning it into 'logue' with a 'j' sound.
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Epilogue comes from the late Latin epilogus and Greek epilogos, from epi- ‘upon, after’ and logos ‘speech, discourse.’ The term originally referred to a concluding speech given at the end of Greek tragedies. In English, the word entered usage in the 16th–17th centuries and was adopted in literary criticism to denote concluding remarks appended to a book, play, or film. Its adoption paralleled other -logue forms like dialogue and monologue, signaling a spoken or written discourse at the end. Over time, epilogue broadened from a formal literary device to a general term for any closing section, including afterwords in novels, films, or serials. While the core sense remains a closing commentary, modern epilogues may provide future-looking notes, closure for characters, or meta-commentary about the work’s themes. The pronunciation preserved the final “-logue” as a separate syllable with a soft g, aligning with related words such as catalog and dialogue. First known uses appear in scholarly and literary contexts in English around the 1500s, with broader adoption through the 17th–18th centuries as literary forms expanded.]
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Epilogue" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Epilogue"
-gue sounds
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