2 syllables: ga, ther. Stress on ga.
GATH-ur
/ˈɡæðɚ/
gather is pronounced GATH-ur (/ˈɡæðɚ/). It has two syllables (ga-ther), with the stress on "ga". Gather means to bring together or collect items, people, or information into a group or pile. It can also indicate forming a conclusion or estimate from clues. In everyday use, it implies accumulation or bringing elements into a coordinated whole, often with a sense of gradual assembly or inference.
Gather means to bring together or collect items, people, or information into a group or pile. It can also indicate forming a conclusion or estimate from clues. In everyday use, it implies accumulation or bringing elements into a coordinated whole, often with a sense of gradual assembly or inference.
"- We need to gather the scattered documents before the meeting."
"- From the clues, we can gather that he didn’t know about the plan."
"- She will gather the team to discuss the project timeline."
/ˈɡæðər/ (US) or /ˈɡæðə/ (UK/AU) with primary stress on the first syllable. The first vowel is the open front unrounded /æ/ as in 'cat', the second is a schwa or a reduced /ə/. The /ð/ is the voiced dental fricative, made with the tongue blade between the teeth, producing a soft, continuous sound, and the final /ɚ/ in US can be a rhotacized schwa when linked in fluent speech. In careful speech, you’ll hear clear /ð/ followed by a light /ə/. Audio resources: Pronounce, Cambridge, or Forvo can provide native examples.
Two frequent errors: (1) Deleting the /ð/ and replacing with /d/ or /t/, producing 'gad-ər' or 'gad-der'. (2) Reducing the first syllable too much, making it sound like /ˈɡædər/ with a weak vowel. Correct these by maintaining the /ð/ sound between the teeth and keeping the first vowel as /æ/ with a clear but not exaggerated open-mouth gesture, followed by a relaxed, neutral schwa in the second syllable. Practice with minimal pairs to feel the difference between /ð/ and /d/.
In US English, stress remains on the first syllable; the final /ər/ often becomes a rhotacized schwa /ɚ/. UK English tends to preserve a clearer /ə/ or /ə/ in the second syllable and may de-emphasize rhoticity, yielding /ˈɡæðə/ with less pronounced rhotic ending. Australian English mirrors UK patterns but can have a stronger vowel length in the first syllable and a slightly more centralized second syllable, sounding /ˈɡæðə/. Overall, US rhotics introduce a stronger 'r' coloration, while UK/AU typically show reduced rhoticity in careful speech.
The difficulty centers on the soft dental fricative /ð/, which many learners replace with /d/ or /z/. The contrast between /æ/ in the first syllable and the reduced /ə/ in the second requires precise tongue height and lip positioning. Additionally, the sequence /æ-ð-ɚ/ demands careful timing to avoid linking the /ð/ too early or slurring the /ɚ/. Practicing with slow, deliberate enunciation and then speeding up helps stabilize the accurate dental fricative and vowel lengths.
A distinctive element is the /ð/ sound between /æ/ and /ə/. This medial dental fricative is rarely silent in careful speech, unlike some other common words where the 'th' is dropped in casual speech. You can hear this in phrases like “gather evidence” where the /ð/ remains clear, aiding intelligibility. Focusing on the tongue placement (tip behind upper teeth) and maintaining air flow through the teeth helps produce a precise /ð/ rather than a /d/ or /z/.
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Gather originates from Old English gegaderian, formed from ge- (a prefix) + gaderian, derived from the Proto-Germanic *gadaraną (to set together, assemble). The root gader- is linked to gathering, assembly, and the concept of bringing parts into a whole. In Middle English, gather evolved to mean not only physically collecting items but also inferring or concluding from evidence, as in “gathering conclusions.” The word shares cognates with Dutch vergaderen and German versammeln, reflecting a common Germanic lineage centered on bringing elements into proximity. By the 15th century, gather routinely described both literal collection (flowers, leaves) and the more abstract act of concluding or deducing from clues. Over time, gather retained its dual sense of physical assembly and cognitive inference, a flexibility that persists in modern usage across diverse contexts—from logistical operations to interpretive reasoning.—This evolution shows a shift from concrete action to broader, metaphorical meaning while retaining its core idea of bringing parts into a unified whole.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "gather" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "gather"
-her sounds
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