4 syllables: frag, men, ta, ry. Stress on frag.
FRAG-muhn-ter-ee
/ˈfɹæɡməˌntɛɹi/
fragmentary is pronounced FRAG-muhn-ter-ee (/ˈfɹæɡməˌntɛɹi/). It has four syllables (frag-men-ta-ry), with the stress on "frag". Fragmentary describes something incomplete or made up of fragments or partial parts. It often conveys a sense of gaps or missing wholes, suggesting that only a portion is present or recovered. The term is commonly used in academic, medical, or historical contexts to characterize data, evidence, or narratives that are not whole or comprehensive.
Fragmentary describes something incomplete or made up of fragments or partial parts. It often conveys a sense of gaps or missing wholes, suggesting that only a portion is present or recovered. The term is commonly used in academic, medical, or historical contexts to characterize data, evidence, or narratives that are not whole or comprehensive.
"The archaeologists found fragmentary inscriptions that hinted at a previously unknown script."
"His notes were fragmentary, offering clues but not a complete picture of the experiment."
"The report concluded with fragmentary data, leaving several questions unanswered."
Pronounce it as /ˈfræɡ.mənˌtɛr.i/ in US/UK/AU. The primary stress is on the first syllable FRAG, with secondary stress on TER in careful speech: FRAG-mən-TER-y. Start with a short, open /æ/ as in cat, then a hard /g/ before /m/. The suffix -ary is usually pronounced as /-əri/ or /-əri/ quickly at the end, sounding like -uh-ree in fluent speech. Practice by chunking: FRAG-mən-TAIR-ee or FRAG-mən-TEH-ree can occur in rapid speech, but the most precise form is /ˈfræɡ.mənˌtɛr.i/. Audio reference: consult dictionaries with IPA and native speaker clips for confirmation. Keywords: stress, schwa, rhoticity.
Common errors include: 1) Dropping the /æ/ in the first syllable or reducing it to a neutral vowel, which makes it sound like FRG-mən-…; 2) Misplacing the secondary stress, saying fragment-AR-y instead of -TER- or rushing the -ary ending; 3) Slurring the /g/ into a soft /k/ or /j/ sound, producing frag-mən-tair-ee instead of crisp /ɡ/ before /m/. Correction tips: rehearse the /æ/ clearly, keep a crisp /ɡ/ before /m/, and maintain the /ˌ/ secondary stress on TER in deliberate speech. Use slow practice with a tempo progression to fix rhythm.
In US/UK/AU, primary stress remains on FRAG. The vowel of the first syllable remains /æ/. Differences lie mainly in quality of the final -ary: US often rhymes the -ary with /-eri/ or /-əri/ and may have a slightly tighter /r/ coloration in rhotic accents; UK tends to clearer non-rhotic /r/ before vowels but can still hear /r/ in connected speech, producing /ˈfræɡ.mən.tɛ.ɹi/ or /ˈfræɡ.mən.tɛ.ɹi/ depending on speaker. Australian English tends toward a broad /ɹ/ or rolled-ish in some speakers and might slightly lengthen vowel qualities before /ri/. Overall, the pronunciation remains similar, with minor vowel shifts and rhoticity affecting the final syllable’s quality and the spelling-to-sound mapping. Listen to native clips for subtle differences.
The difficulty lies in managing three syllables with rapid linking: FRAG-mən-TAIR-ee in casual speech or FRAG-mən-TER-y in careful speech. The strong first syllable /æ/ contrasts with the reduced second syllable /mən/ followed by a tense /tɛr/ before the final /i/; maintaining clear /ɡ/ before /m/ and not letting /rə/ blend too quickly are common challenges. Additionally, the -ary ending can morph to an /-əri/ or /-əri/ depending on accent, affecting vowel length and consonant clarity. Focus on opening the mouth for /æ/, keeping the /ɡ/ distinct, and articulating the final light /i/ sounds.
There are no silent letters in fragmentary, but the natural rhythm features a strong initial stress and a quieter, faster ending. A common query is whether the -ary suffix carries a stress; the primary stress stays on FRAG, with secondary emphasis on TER in careful speech. The mouth positions: /fræɡ/ with a hard /g/ release into /mən/; the subsequent /tɛr/ is clearly enunciated, and the final /i/ is light. In connected speech, the ending may reduce to a quick /ri/; in careful speech, you can hear /-tɛr.i/. Overall, stress remains on the first syllable, not shifting across contexts.
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Fragmentary comes from the noun fragment, meaning a piece broken off from something larger. Fragment stems from Latin fragmentum, from frangere “to break.” The -ary suffix forms adjectives indicating a relation or pertaining to, yielding fragmentary meaning “pertaining to fragments.” The word fragment itself traces to late Latin fragmentum and classical Latin frangere, with early English attestations in the 17th century. Over time, fragmentary evolved to describe data, information, or structures that are incomplete or composed of pieces, not a whole. The nuance often emphasizes the presence of discernible fragments or partial evidence rather than a seamless, integrated whole. In scholarly usage, fragmentary describes sources or conclusions that require caution or further corroboration due to gaps. The evolution reflects a shift from physical fragment pieces to abstract partial datasets or narratives, common in archaeology, history, medicine, and textual criticism. First known use in English appears around the 1600s, with steady, context-driven adoption in academia as disciplines increasingly relied on partial data before comprehensive findings could be established.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "fragmentary" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "fragmentary"
-ary sounds
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