ik-STUR-nuhl
/ɪkˈstɝnəl/
external is pronounced ik-STUR-nuhl (/ɪkˈstɝnəl/). External refers to something situated or occurring on or outside of an object, boundary, or system. It can describe outward-facing surfaces, outside influences, or external factors in a broader context such as science, business, or everyday language. The term often contrasts with internal, emphasizing outward versus inward location, origin, or causation. In professional usage, it also denotes non-core or external sources.
External refers to something situated or occurring on or outside of an object, boundary, or system. It can describe outward-facing surfaces, outside influences, or external factors in a broader context such as science, business, or everyday language. The term often contrasts with internal, emphasizing outward versus inward location, origin, or causation. In professional usage, it also denotes non-core or external sources.
"The external walls of the building need repainting."
"Please attach the external hard drive to back up your files."
"The company consulted external auditors for an independent review."
Pronounce as ɪkˈstɜːrnəl for US/UK; stress falls on the second syllable: ex-TER-nal. Start with a short 'ih' sound, then a clear 'ter' with a rhotacized US vowel in many dialects, followed by a soft 'nal.' For careful speech, you can record and compare to native playback to ensure the middle syllable carries the peak stress. Listen for the final schwa-like 'əl' in rapid speech.
Two frequent errors: 1) Stressed on the first syllable (EX-ter-nal). Correct by moving the primary stress to TER and keeping the first syllable lighter: ɪkˈstɜːr-nəl. 2) Merging the r or swallowing the -al ending (ex-STERN-al). Correct by clearly articulating the /ɜː/ in TER and the final /əl/ with a relaxed jaw to avoid a dark or syllabic l. Use lip rounding and a full vowel in TER for accuracy.
In US and UK English, the TER syllable carries primary stress with a clear /ɜːr/ in UK rhotic vs non-rhotic tendencies in some US varieties; the final /əl/ tends to be a lighter schwa + l. Australian speakers often reduce the middle vowel slightly and may have a shorter /ɜː/ with a looser /l/ at the end. Overall, the core sequence ɪkˈstɜːrnəl remains, but vowel quality and rhoticity shift subtly between regions.
The difficulty centers on the three-syllable structure with a mid-vowel nucleus in TER and a trailing syllabic or near-syllabic /l/ sound. The /k/ + /st/ cluster and the rhotic vowel in TER require precise tongue positioning: a high-back /ɜː/ or mid-central vowel, an affricated onset after the initial /ɪk/. The rapid transition from /k/ to /st/ plus a final schwa can cause slurring or mis-stressing if you’re not enunciating each phoneme distinctly.
A distinctive feature is the cluster at the start: /ɪkˈstɜːr-/ with a strong emphasis on TER; avoid letting the /s/ blend into a flat onset. The mid-vowel in TER is key—aim for a clear, tense /ɜː/ (US) or /ɜː/ (UK) rather than a lax /ə/. Pay attention to the ending /əl/ where many speakers reduce to /l/ or a light schwa; keep it quick but perceptible, so the word lands crisply without ending as a dull syllable.
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External comes from the Latin externus ‘outside, outward,’ formed from ex- ‘out’ + mirror-sense of externus ‘external, outward, belonging to the outside,’ with early uses in English from the 15th century. The root ex- means ‘out of,’ paired with ter- or extern- from ‘stretched out, outward.’ The suffix -al forms adjectives indicating pertaining to. Over time, the sense expanded to include things not part of the inner structure (external forces, external views) and later to “nonpartisan” or peripheral contexts in different disciplines. The word has retained its core spatial meaning—outward relative to some boundary—while widening to abstract domains like external factors, external conditions, and external audiences. First known uses appeared in Middle English medical and architectural texts, but the modern general use as “outside” or “non-internal” solidified during the scientific and administrative vocabulary expansion in the 16th–19th centuries, aligning with broader technical terms like externalities and externalities in economics and external measures in engineering.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "external" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "external"
-ial sounds
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