2 syllables: fore, sight. Stress on fore.
FAWR-seyet
/ˈfɔˌɹsaɪt/
foresight is pronounced FAWR-seyet (/ˈfɔˌɹsaɪt/). It has two syllables (fore-sight), with the stress on "fore". Foresight is the ability to anticipate and prepare for future needs or events. It combines forward-thinking judgment with practical planning, enabling proactive decisions rather than reactive responses. It often implies prudence and strategic vision across personal, organizational, or policy contexts.
Foresight is the ability to anticipate and prepare for future needs or events. It combines forward-thinking judgment with practical planning, enabling proactive decisions rather than reactive responses. It often implies prudence and strategic vision across personal, organizational, or policy contexts.
"Her foresight in investing saved the company when the market shifted."
"With foresight, you can allocate resources before a projected dip in demand."
"The project failed due to a lack of foresight about potential regulatory hurdles."
/ˈfɔːrˌsaɪt/ in US and UK, with primary stress on the first syllable. The sequence is fore- (like /fɔːr/ in 'for') plus -sight (/saɪt/). In rapid speech, the /ɔːr/ may become a mid-back vowel before the /s/; ensure the /saɪt/ is crisp to avoid merging with 'sight' as a separate word. Mouth: start with rounded lips for /ɔː/ then move to a high front /aɪ/ glide for /saɪt/.
Common errors: (1) Merging stress so both syllables feel equally heavy; keep primary stress on /fɔːr/. (2) Slurring the /r/ in rhotic accents, leading to a weaker first syllable; articulate /r/ clearly before /saɪt/. (3) Mispronouncing /ɔː/ as /ɑː/; aim for the rounded /ɔː/ quality. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘for’ vs ‘fore’ and ensure the /saɪt/ portion is not velarized. Finally, avoid adding extra syllables and keep the final /t/ crisp.
US/UK show /ˈfɔːrˌsaɪt/ with rhotic /r/ in US; UK often drops overt rhoticity in non-rhotic varieties but still clearly pronounces /r/ in most speakers before a vowel; AUS tends toward a broad /ɔː/ and a slightly longer diphthong in /saɪt/. Overall, the /fɔːr/ retains a rounded, back vowel in US; UK may resemble /ˈfɔːˌsaɪt/ with reduced /r/. Vowel length and rhythm shift subtly depending on stress and surrounding consonants.
The difficulty centers on the sequencing of the back rounded /ɔː/ vowel in /fɔːr/ with the high front /aɪ/ in /saɪt/, plus maintaining crisp /t/ at word end. The consonant cluster /r/ before /s/ in rhotic accents creates a connector that can blur separation between syllables. Managing the subtle vowel shift from /ɔː/ to /aɪ/ and keeping the /t/ unreleased or released appropriately challenges many non-native speakers, especially when switching across accents.
Though both share fore- as a prefix, foresight’s stress pattern stays on the first syllable with a light secondary emphasis on the second, unlike foreshadowing, where the second syllable receives more prominence in natural speech. The /ˈfɔːr/ onset should be robust, and the /saɪt/ tail should land crisply. In connected speech, you’ll hear a slight smoothing of the boundary between /r/ and /s/, but avoid conflating the two sounds by sustaining a clear stop on the final /t/.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; keep /ɔːr/ rounded and firm; /saɪt/ should be quick but not reduced. - UK: non-rhotic tendencies; /r/ is less pronounced until before a vowel; ensure /ɔː/ remains long; /saɪt/ lands sharply. - AU: broad vowels; /ɔː/ may be more open; /saɪt/ is clipped but clear. Always reference IPA /ˈfɔːˌsaɪt/ and keep rhythm steady.
Foresight derives from the combination of fore- (a prefix meaning ‘in front of’ or ‘before’) and sight (the sense of seeing). The prefix fore- has Germanic origins, arising in Old English as a prefix relating to preceding or previous, with cognates in Dutch voor- and German vor-. Sight comes from Old English sight orsight, related to Gothic segis, and is ultimately linked to Proto-Germanic *siztō, denoting the faculty of seeing. The merged noun foresight first appeared in Middle English and by the 15th century carried the sense of ‘the ability to see beforehand,’ mirroring the common metaphor of sight as a guide to future action. Over time, foresight expanded from literal vision to the abstract capacity for planning, forecasting, and prudential judgment—often in business, governance, and strategic thinking—becoming a standard term in risk management and strategic discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "foresight" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "foresight"
-ght sounds
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