4 syllables: E, vac, u, ate. Stress on vac.
iv-AK-yuh-ayt
/ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/
Evacuate is pronounced iv-AK-yuh-ayt (/ɪˈvækjəˌeɪt/). It has four syllables (E-vac-u-ate), with the stress on "vac". Evacuate is a verb meaning to remove people from danger or a place, typically to a safer location. It implies organized movement rather than a casual exit, often in response to an emergency or threat. The term can apply to people, animals, or spaces being cleared for safety or protection.
verbEvacuate is a verb meaning to remove people from danger or a place, typically to a safer location. It implies organized movement rather than a casual exit, often in response to an emergency or threat. The term can apply to people, animals, or spaces being cleared for safety or protection.
"Authorities ordered residents to evacuate the area ahead of the hurricane."
"The building alarms prompted workers to evacuate and assemble at the designated refuge point."
"During the flood, volunteers helped evacuate pets from the shelter to higher ground."
Pronunciation: /ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/ (US/UK) with primary stress on the second syllable: e-VA-cuate. Start with a short, lax 'ih' sound in the first syllable, then a clear 'vac' with /æ/ as in cat, followed by the 'yu' sequence /ju/ and a final /eɪt/ as in 'late.' Keep the tongue high for the /j/ before the final vowel and release the final t with a light touch. Audio reference: listen to native speech on Pronounce, Forvo, or YouGlish for multiple speakers.
Common errors include misplacing stress (pronouncing e-VA-cu-ate with the first syllable stress), mispronouncing the /æ/ as /e/ or /ə/, and merging /ju/ as /u/ or /juː/ too late. Correcting tips: emphasize the /væk/ chunk with a crisp vowel, and articulate the /ju/ as a short /j/ followed by /u/ quickly, then glide into /eɪt/. Practice saying ‘in-VA-cue-ate’ slowly and then normal tempo to lock the right rhythm.
US, UK, and AU share /ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt/ as a base, but rhotics and vowel qualities vary. US tends to be rhotic with a clearer /r/ only if present; the /æ/ in /væk/ is brighter, and the /ju/ can be a quick /jə/ sequence before the /eɪt/. UK often uses a non-rhotic style with a more clipped /æ/ and longer /juː/ transition; AU may spread the /j/ and reduce the final diphthong slightly, producing /ɪˈvæk.ju.ɪt/ or /-jʊ.eɪt/ depending on speaker. Listen to regional examples for fine-tuning.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic rhythm and the /æ/ vs /ə/ vowel contrasts, plus the /ju/ sequence creating a swift glide into the final /eɪt/. The consonant cluster /kv/ requires tongue position that can blur with following /ju/. Mastery comes from practicing the transition into the /ju/ and the final /eɪt/ with clear mouth opening and jaw relaxation.
The combination of the /k/ and /j/ sequence (/kv/ + /j/) and the subsequent /u/ vowel can be easy to merge in rapid speech. Maintaining a distinct /k/ release followed by a smooth /j/ glide before the /u/ in /ju/ helps keep the syllables clean. Slow practice isolates each segment before sequencing.
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Evacuate derives from the Latin evacuatus, past participle of evac(u)are, meaning ‘to empty out’ or ‘to make empty.’ The root evacu- comes from ex- ‘out’ and vecus/vec- ‘to carry or bear,’ related to the idea of removing contents. In Latin, evacuare emphasized emptying a space or vessel. The word entered English in the 17th century via French or Latin-influenced sources, retaining the sense of removing people or contents from danger or confinement. Over time, its usage broadened from literal physical emptying (a house, a city, a place) to more metaphorical or procedural senses—evacuating a building during an emergency, evacuating patients from a ward, or evacuating a country in extreme crises. The term is common in public safety, military, and medical contexts, and today it often appears in drills, policies, and news reporting. The morphological components – ex- (out) + acqua/t(o) carry, via Latin roots – emphasize the action of carrying people or things out to safety. First known uses align with early modern public safety language, but the concept of moving a population away from danger predates formal terminology, reflected in cross-linguistic phrases for “to remove” or “to clear.”
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Words that rhyme with "Evacuate"
-ate sounds
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