ir-AD-uh-kayt
/ɪˈɹædəˌkeɪt/
Eradicate is pronounced ir-AD-uh-kayt (/ɪˈɹædəˌkeɪt/). Eradicate is a verb meaning to destroy completely or put an end to something, such as a disease or a problem. It implies thorough elimination rather than mere reduction. The term often conveys a strategic, decisive action aimed at removing existence or presence of something entirely.
verbEradicate is a verb meaning to destroy completely or put an end to something, such as a disease or a problem. It implies thorough elimination rather than mere reduction. The term often conveys a strategic, decisive action aimed at removing existence or presence of something entirely.
- You may overemphasize the initial 'ee' sound, creating a misplacement where you use /iː/ instead of /ɛ/ or /ɪ/. Focus on short, crisp initial vowel and move to schwa in unstressed syllables. - The /æ/ or /æ/ in some accents may bleed into /eɪ/ if you’re not clearing the jaw—keep the jaw slightly lowered for the first syllable. - Final /eɪt/ can be reduced to /ət/ in rapid speech; keep mouth rounded and lips forward for /eɪ/ and finish with /t/. - Practice with minimal pairs to separate the /r/ and /d/ sounds, especially in rhotic accents where /r/ may be more pronounced. - Record and compare: listen for the crisp /deɪ/ portion and ensure the second syllable is not swallowed by the third.
How to Pronounce Eradicate
"Efforts to eradicate malaria have intensified in recent years."
"The new laws aim to eradicate corruption within government agencies."
"The campaign seeks to eradicate poverty in the region by empowering communities."
Break it into four sounds: e-RA-dicate. In IPA: US ˈɛr.əˌdeɪkˌeɪt. UK and US share the ER-ad-i-cate pattern with primary stress on the second syllable; the final -cate is pronounced /keɪt/. The mouth starts with a mid-front vowel /ɛ/ then /ə/ schwa, then /deɪ/ (like 'day'), and ends with /keɪt/. Tip: keep the 'rad' sound light, and make the final /eɪt/ crisp. You can listen to examples on Pronounce or YouGlish to hear natural usage.
Common errors: 1) Sticking the stress on the first syllable (ER-a-di-cate) leads to a choppy rhythm. 2) Mispronouncing the middle /ˌdeɪ/ as a short /dɪ/ or /də/ instead of /ˈdeɪ/, which softens the word’s energy. 3) Slurring or reducing the final /keɪt/ to /kət/ in rapid speech. Correction: emphasize the /ˈdeɪk/ portion and finish with a clear /eɪt/. Practice with slow pronunciation, then speed up while keeping the final /eɪt/ crisp.
US: primary stress on the second syllable, /ˈɛr.əˌdeɪkˌeɪt/ with a clear /ˈdeɪ/ and final /eɪt/. UK: often similar, but some speakers reduce the /ɪ/ in the second syllable, producing /ˌɪər.əˈdeɪ.kteɪt/ depending on regional rhoticity and linking. AU: tends to maintain /ˈɪ.ræd.ɪ.keɪt/ or /ˌiːˈræd.ɪ.keɪt/ with a slightly flatter vowel and stronger final vowel clarity. Overall, rhoticity is less difference for this word’s core vowels; the most noticeable variance is vowel quality in the first syllable and the presence of /ɹ/ in rhotic accents. Listen to native speech via Pronounce or YouGlish for precise variants.
It challenges several points: the heavy multisyllabic rhythm with four syllables, the long /eɪ/ diphthong in the third syllable, and the final /eɪt/ that requires precise mouth opening and timing. The middle /ˈdeɪ/ segment can be mispronounced as /də/ or /dəˈkeɪt/. Also, the word’s syllable-timed cadence makes accuracy feel compressed in fast speech. Practice emphasizing the stressed second syllable and the long vowel sounds; using slowed iterations helps cement the correct mouth positions.
Yes. The combination of a stressed syllable followed by a vowel-rich ending with /eɪt/ makes it unusually prone to vowel-vowel hiatus. Maintain a clear /ˈɜ-/ or /ˈɛr-/ onset, and avoid gliding the /eɪ/ into a schwa. Also, keep the alveolar /d/ lightly aspirated before /eɪ/ to avoid merging the /d/ with the /eɪ/ into a softer sound. Listening for the distinct /deɪ/ chunk in native speech reinforces accuracy.
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- US: Emphasize the /ˈɜːr/ or /ˈɛr/ onset; ensure the rhotic /r/ is pronounced clearly before the schwa. The /deɪ/ should be a bright diphthong with a smooth glide into /eɪt/. - UK: Often softer on the initial /ɪə/ or /ɛ/ depending on dialect; maintain non-rhoticity if applicable, so the /r/ is not pronounced unless linking. - AU: Tend to preserve a clear /ɪə/ or /ɛ/ in the first syllable; final /eɪt/ remains crisp. In all, keep the /d/ short but not devoiced; the /eɪ/ should be forward and bright. IPA pointers: US /ˈɛr.əˌdeɪ.k eɪt/, UK /ˌɪəˈdeɪ.k eɪt/, AU /ˌiːˈræd.ɪ.keɪt/.
Eradicate comes from the Latin eradicare, rooted in ex- ‘out, away’ + radic- ‘root,’ from radix ‘root.’ The term originally meant to pull up by the roots. In English, it entered technical and general use in the late 18th to early 19th centuries, initially in botany and medicine to denote removing roots or eliminating a disease source. Over time, it broadened to describe the elimination of any problem or undesirable condition, not just physical roots. The shift from a literal “pull out by the root” sense to a figurative “completely remove” sense occurred as metaphorical language expanded, aided by scientific and policy discourse where deep, systemic elimination is required. First known uses appear in medical and natural history texts, and by the 1800s it was common in political and social contexts to describe eradicating practices, beliefs, or issues. The pronunciation preserved the Latin root integrity, with stress on the third syllable in most varieties (e-RAD-i-cate), aligning with similar latinate verbs across English.
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Words that rhyme with "Eradicate"
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