2 syllables: ham, per. Stress on ham.
/ˈhæmpɚ/
hamper is pronounced /ˈhæmpɚ/. It has two syllables (ham-per), with the stress on "ham". Hamper refers to a basket, often with a lid, used for carrying goods or laundry. It can also mean to hinder or impede progress. In cooking or festivals, it denotes a gift basket of foods. The word carries a neutral to slightly formal nuance, depending on context, and is commonly used in everyday, semi-formal, and descriptive discourse.
Say it backHamper refers to a basket, often with a lid, used for carrying goods or laundry. It can also mean to hinder or impede progress. In cooking or festivals, it denotes a gift basket of foods. The word carries a neutral to slightly formal nuance, depending on context, and is commonly used in everyday, semi-formal, and descriptive discourse.
"She carried the picnic hamper to the park for a sunny afternoon lunch."
"A strong wind could hamper efforts to deliver the package on time."
"The charity raffle included a hamper filled with gourmet treats."
Pronounce as HAM-per with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US: /ˈhæm.pɚ/, UK: /ˈhæm.pə/, AU: /ˈhæm.pə/. The middle consonant is a light m, followed by a schwa or rhotic vowel depending on accent. The final r in US is an r-colored schwa /ɚ/; in non-rhotic accents like some UK varieties, the final is a light /ə/. Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw, lips rounded minimally for the /æ/ then close to form /m/, and finish with a relaxed /ɚ/ or /ə/.
Common errors: 1) Slurring the middle /m/ into the following vowel, making it sound like /ˈhæmpə/ or /ˈhæmər/—keep the syllable boundary and clearly release the /m/. 2) Pronouncing the second syllable with a full /ɹ/ in non-rhotic accents; in American you should have a rhotacized /ɚ/ or a reduced /ə/. 3) Misplacing stress as HAM-per vs ham-PER; ensure primary stress stays on the first syllable. Practice by isolating /hæm/ then adding a light /pər/.
In US, final /ɚ/ is rhotacized; you hear a terminal /ɚ/. In UK, non-rhotic varieties reduce the final to a schwa /ə/ or may link to a lightly pronounced /pə/; the /r/ is not pronounced. Australian tends to be non-rhotic with vowels slightly broader; final schwa more centralized. Across accents, the initial /hæm/ remains constant; the difference lies mainly in the final vowel and rhoticity, influencing the perceived ending: /ɚ/ (US) vs /ə/ or /ə/ with muted /r/ (UK/AU). IPA references: US /ˈhæm.pɚ/, UK /ˈhæm.pə/, AU /ˈhæm.pə/.
The challenge rests on the final /ɚ/ vs /ə/ and the quick, light release after /m/. In American speech, the final /ɚ/ is rhotacized, so your tongue curls slightly and the vocal tract remains open for a brief moment. For non-rhotic speakers, the ending becomes a schwa without a pronounced /r/. The cluster /m/ followed by a vowel also requires careful voicing and lip closure without overemphasizing the m—keep it clean and brief.
There is no silent letter in hamper; all letters contribute to the pronunciation: /hæm/ covers the first syllable with a clear /æ/, and the second syllable is /pər/ or /pə/. The potential confusion comes from the non-rhotic vs rhotic endings and the quick, light release after /m/. Focus on a crisp /m/ closure and a relaxed, short /ə/ or /ɚ/ depending on the accent.
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Hamper originated in Middle English as hampere, related to the French word empoter, which referred to a basket-like container with a handle. The term likely derives from Latin hampare, through Old French hampier, and is connected to the weaponized sense of hindering in some historical texts where a hamper was a basket used for storing or carrying burdens, sometimes heavy or impossible to move easily. By the 16th and 17th centuries, hamper commonly described a basket or hamper-like container used for collecting fruit, poultry, or provisions, with the lid and handle being practical features for transport. The verb sense to hamper (to impede) emerged in English in the 19th century, piggybacking on the metaphor of a heavy basket that slows or blocks progress. The noun senses broadened in literature and commerce, eventually becoming the everyday word for a woven or wicker basket used for gifts, laundry, or storage. First known use in written English dates back to at least the 15th century, with gradual semantic shift reflecting both physical container use and the metaphorical sense of obstruction in later centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "hamper"
-per sounds
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