2 syllables: gate, way. Stress on gate.
GAY-tway
/ˈɡeɪˌtweɪ/
gateway is pronounced GAY-tway (/ˈɡeɪˌtweɪ/). It has two syllables (gate-way), with the stress on "gate". Gateway is a compound noun or verb meaning a means of access or entry point, often symbolic as an opening to opportunity or transition. It is pronounced with two syllables, the first stressed: /ˈɡeɪtˌwɛɪ/ in many accents, though some forms cluster the diphthongs more tightly. The term functions as a concrete or metaphorical entry, bridging domains or states.
Gateway is a compound noun or verb meaning a means of access or entry point, often symbolic as an opening to opportunity or transition. It is pronounced with two syllables, the first stressed: /ˈɡeɪtˌwɛɪ/ in many accents, though some forms cluster the diphthongs more tightly. The term functions as a concrete or metaphorical entry, bridging domains or states.
"The old cave carved a gateway into a hidden chamber."
"The new highway will be the gateway to the town’s growth."
"For many startups, investor funding is the gateway to scaling operations."
Pronounce it as GAIT-way, with primary stress on GAIT. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈɡeɪtˌweɪ/. Start with the diphthong /eɪ/ as in bake, then a light /t/ before the final /weɪ/. The second syllable is a reduced, clearly enunciated /weɪ/. Tip: avoid delaying the /t/ or merging it too early; release the /t/ crisply before the /w/ onset. Audio reference: consistent with standard dictionaries and online pronunciation tools.
Common errors: dropping the /t/ and making /geɪ/ spill into /weɪ/; mouthing /t/ too softly leading to /ɡeɪweɪ/; or misplacing stress by giving equal weight to both syllables. Correction: clearly articulate the /t/ as a stops release between /eɪ/ and /w/; maintain primary stress on the first syllable /ˈɡeɪt/ and lengthen the onset of the second syllable slightly without adding extra syllables.
US/UK/AU share the same primary stress on the first syllable, but vowel quality can vary slightly; US often features a slightly tenser /eɪ/ and a tighter /weɪ/; UK may have a marginally more rounded /eɪ/ and crisper /t/; AU generally mirrors US but with a mild vowel flattening in fast speech. Rhoticity is not a major factor here, but intonation can rise or fall across phrases, affecting perceived emphasis on the second syllable.
The challenge lies in the precise /t/ release between two vowel-like units and maintaining crisp distinction between /eɪ/ and /weɪ/ within a two-syllable word. Beginners often run the /t/ into the velar onset or merge the second syllable with the first. Focusing on a clear /t/ closure and a clean boundary between /eɪ/ and /w/ helps maintain accurate syllabic rhythm.
A unique aspect is maintaining a sharp boundary between the vowel-diphthongs /eɪ/ in the first syllable and /weɪ/ in the second, avoiding any glide amalgamation that creates /ɡeɪw-/ or /ɡeɪtweɪ/ erosion. The second syllable should begin with a clear onset /w/, not a vowel-start, ensuring the sequence /ˈɡeɪtˌweɪ/ remains distinct and easy to parse in continuous speech.
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Gateway originates from Old English gat (gate) + weg (way), forming a compound referring to a gate that provides access along a path. The earliest constructions appear in medieval texts describing gates and entrances to towns or fortifications. Over time, gateway broadened semantically to include any opening that provides entry or passage, especially in metaphorical usage such as gateways to opportunity or knowledge. The term appears in Middle English and Early Modern English corpora with references to physical gates, but by the 18th and 19th centuries, it increasingly adopted figurative meanings in literature and rhetoric. In modern usage, gateway retains both senses; as infrastructure, it denotes a passage with physical or digital control, and as metaphor, a threshold to new realms, technologies, or stages of life. The evolution mirrors the shift from literal thresholds to symbolic thresholds in social and economic discourse, reinforcing the sense of transition and access associated with gateways.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "gateway" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "gateway" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "gateway"
-ate sounds
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