2 syllables: front, age. Stress on front.
FRUHN-tij
/ˈfɹʌntɪdʒ/
frontage is pronounced FRUHN-tij (/ˈfɹʌntɪdʒ/). It has two syllables (front-age), with the stress on "front". Frontage refers to the part of a property that faces the street or another public space; the outer face or boundary that defines its front. In architecture and planning, frontage often denotes the official width of a lot or building along an access point. The term is used in real estate, zoning, and development contexts to describe the visible, street-facing exterior.
Frontage refers to the part of a property that faces the street or another public space; the outer face or boundary that defines its front. In architecture and planning, frontage often denotes the official width of a lot or building along an access point. The term is used in real estate, zoning, and development contexts to describe the visible, street-facing exterior.
"The new hotel is set back from the road, but its frontage remains dramatic and welcoming."
"Municipal zoning requires a minimum frontage to allow adequate street access."
"They renovated the storefront to improve its frontage and signage."
Pronounce it FRUN-tij with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈfrʌn.tɪdʒ/. The first syllable uses the short /ʌ/ as in
Common errors include saying /ˈfrɔːn.tɪdʒ/ (lengthened vowel) instead of /ˈfrʌn.tɪdʒ/ and mispronouncing the final -age as /eɪ/ (as in “courage”). Keep the final sound as /dʒ/ and ensure the middle vowel is /ɪ/ not /iː/. Practice by isolating the /ʌ/ in 'fron' and the /tɪdʒ/ cluster accurately.
In US/UK/AU, the primary stress remains on the first syllable. US and UK share /ˈfrʌn.tɪdʒ/, but Australian speakers may show slight vowel broadening in unstressed syllables; rhoticity is generally standard in all three, so /r/ is not pronounced in 'frontage' since /r/ follows the vowel only in rhotic spell-out. Focus on the /ʌ/ vowel quality and the /dʒ/ ending.
The difficulty lies in the short /ʌ/ vowel, the unstressed reduction often felt in the second syllable, and maintaining the /tɪdʒ/ cluster without inserting extra vowels. The transition from a closed front vowel to the alveolar plosive before /dʒ/ requires careful timing: /frʌn/ + /tɪdʒ/. Practice keeping lips relaxed, tongue high for /ʌ/, and tip of the tongue just behind the upper teeth for /t/.
The final /dʒ/ can lure speakers into a /dʒi/ or /dʒɪ/ insertion if the airflow is not properly released. Keep the /d/ and immediately raise the body of the tongue to form /dʒ/, not a separate vowel. Also ensure the middle /ɪ/ is short and not elongated, so the transition from /t/ to /ɪ/ stays crisp.
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Frontage derives from the word front, rooted in the Latin front- meaning ‘foremost part’ or ‘face.’ The suffix -age, through Old French -age and Middle English, forms nouns indicating a collection, condition, or action related to the stem. The term appears in architectural and land-use contexts in English by the 18th–19th centuries as formal vocabulary for features of properties facing streets. Over time, frontage broadened to describe not only the physical facade but the zoning and marketing implications of street-facing exposure. Cross-linguistic cognates in other Germanic languages reflect the same concept of “front” plus a nominal suffix, underscoring its stable association with outward-facing surfaces and property boundaries. In modern real estate and urban planning discourse, frontage is a precise measure and descriptor, frequently tied to lot width, visibility, and permissive development rights working in tandem with context-sensitive signage and façade design.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "frontage" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "frontage"
-age sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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