2 syllables: Ex, hort. Stress on hort.
ig-ZAWRT
/ɪˈɡzɔɹt/
Exhort is pronounced ig-ZAWRT (/ɪˈɡzɔɹt/). It has two syllables (Ex-hort), with the stress on "hort". Exhort is a verb meaning to strongly urge or encourage someone to take a course of action, often with moral or serious emphasis. It conveys urging with conviction, sometimes to persuade or warn, rather than merely advising. The term is formal and situationally weighty, typically used in negotiation, policy, or exhortations by leaders or speakers.
verbExhort is a verb meaning to strongly urge or encourage someone to take a course of action, often with moral or serious emphasis. It conveys urging with conviction, sometimes to persuade or warn, rather than merely advising. The term is formal and situationally weighty, typically used in negotiation, policy, or exhortations by leaders or speakers.
How to Pronounce Exhort
"The preacher exhorted the congregation to charity and compassion."
"Officials exhorted residents to evacuate before the hurricane."
"The coach exhorted the team to give their best effort in the final minutes."
Exhort is pronounced with two syllables, stress on the second: ɪɡˈzɔrt (US) or ɪɡˈzɔːt (UK/AU). Start with a short, clipped /ɪ/ sound, then a soft /ɡ/ release, followed by the stressed /ˈzɔːr/ or /ˈzɔːt/ depending on the accent. The final /t/ is aspirated in careful speech. Visualize: ex-HORT, with the mouth closing briefly before the /z/ start and the tongue rising to produce the /ɔː/ vowel. If you’re unsure, slow it to ex-sure-t? No—ex-HORT is correct. IPA guide helps confirm mouth position: /ɪɡˈzɔrt/ (US), /ɪɡˈzɔːt/ (UK/AU). Audio reference: listen for the clear /zd/ cluster as the syllable peaks on hort.”,
Two common errors: misplacing stress and mispronouncing the vowel. People often say ex-HORT with a reduced second syllable or mispronounce the vowel as /ɔ/ without length; correct to the stressed /zɔːr/ or /ˈzɔːt/ depending on accent. Another error is adding an extra vowel sound before the /t/ (ex-hor-t). To fix, keep the vowel in the second syllable long (US /ɪɡˈzɔrt/; UK /ɪɡˈzɔːt/) and avoid trailing schwas after /t/. Practice with minimal pairs to feel the stress on hort.”,
In US English, /ɪɡˈzɔrt/ typically has a rhotic r-like ending: the /rt/ can cluster with a smooth, quick release. UK and Australian English often lengthen the vowel to /ˈzɔː/ and may realize a non-rhotic or lightly rhotic r depending on speaker. The final consonant may be a crisp /t/ in careful speech. The main variation is the nucleus vowel quality: US tends toward a shorter /ɔ/ with a light /rt/, while UK/AU favor a longer /ɔː/ before /t/. Listen for the elongated hort in British speakers.”,
Exhort combines an initial cluster /gz/ around the syllable boundary and a second-syllable vowel that’s length- and accent-sensitive. The /ɡ/ and /z/ sequence must be clean, with the /z/ voice onset time aligning with the stressed open vowel in /ˈzɔːr/ or /ˈzɔrt/. The final /t/ can be unreleased in fast speech, which obscures the syllable boundary. Learners tend to misplace stress or merge /zɔr/ into a simple /ɔr/; keep the secondary stress clear on hort and maintain crisp /t/ for clarity.”,
Why does the word 'Exhort' carry a strong syllable on hort and how does the initial /ɡz/ cluster influence articulation? The stress is clearly on hort, so you want to avoid rushing the first syllable and let the /ɡz/ glide into the vowel. The /ɡz/ cluster connects the coarticulated /ɡ/ and /z/ sounds; tongue position should be relaxed then quickly transition to the long vowel in hort. Mastery comes from keeping the /z/ fluent rather than de-voicing it, which preserves the formal, persuasive tone of exhortation.
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Exhort comes from Middle English exhorten, from Old French exhorter, from Latin exhortāre, ex- ‘out’ + hortārī ‘to encourage, urge, exhort.’ The Latin root hortārī is related to hortus ‘garden’ but here conveys urging or encouraging. The word entered English via legal or ecclesiastical usage in the late medieval period, often in sermons or moral admonitions. Over time, its sense refined to denote an earnest urging toward action or belief, frequently with moral weight or imperative nuance. The pronunciation pressure shift and formality lingered, maintaining a sense of authority and solemn exhortation in modern usage, especially in institutional or rhetorical contexts. First known uses appear in Middle English texts that translate or adopt Latin exhortare, showing the word’s evolution from a general urging to a sharpened, formal imperative. By the Early Modern period, exhort carried more formal tone, remaining common in academic, religious, and persuasive discourse. In contemporary English, exhort retains its formal register and is often paired with verbs like “to urge,” “to persuade,” or “to admonish,” underscoring the action-oriented push behind the word.
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Words that rhyme with "Exhort"
-ort sounds
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