2 syllables: hard, ship. Stress on hard.
HAHRD-ship
/ˈhɑɹdʃɪp/
hardship is pronounced HAHRD-ship (/ˈhɑɹdʃɪp/). It has two syllables (hard-ship), with the stress on "hard". Hardship refers to severe difficulties or suffering, especially those related to poverty, danger, or deprivation. It describes conditions that test endurance, resilience, and resourcefulness, often involving lack of basic needs or opportunities. The term emphasizes sustained adversity rather than a single obstacle, highlighting the hardship that individuals or communities endure over time.
Hardship refers to severe difficulties or suffering, especially those related to poverty, danger, or deprivation. It describes conditions that test endurance, resilience, and resourcefulness, often involving lack of basic needs or opportunities. The term emphasizes sustained adversity rather than a single obstacle, highlighting the hardship that individuals or communities endure over time.
- You may drop or blur the /ʃ/ sound, saying /ˈhɑrdɪp/ instead of /ˈhɑrdˌʃɪp/. Tip: practice the transition from /d/ to /ʃ/ with a quick, light touch of the tongue to avoid a gap. - Confusing the first syllable’s vowel as /æ/ (as in 'hat') instead of a longer /ɑː/. Tip: hold the mouth in an open, relaxed position with the tongue low and back for /ɑː/. - Failing to articulate the /r/ in rhotic accents or inserting an unnecessary extra vowel between /r/ and /ʃ/. Tip: say /ɑːrd/ with a crisp /r/ before /ʃ/, then release into /ɪp/.
"The drought created economic hardship for farmers."
"During the war, families faced extreme hardship and displacement."
"She endured great financial hardship after losing her job."
Say HARD-ship, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈhɑːrdˌʃɪp/ or /ˈhɑrdˌʃɪp/ depending on dialect. Start with an open back vowel in the first syllable, then a clear /ʃ/ for the second, ending with a light /-ɪp/. You’ll feel your tongue bunched toward the back for the first vowel and rounded lips slightly for the final 'p' release. Audio reference: general pronunciation guides or dictionaries provide native-speaker examples.
Common mistakes: confusing the first syllable vowel with a short /æ/ as in 'hat'; adding extra syllables like ‘hard-ship-uh’; misplacing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Corrections: keep the first syllable as /ˈhɑːrd/ (American /ɑːr/ or British /ɑː/ + /r/ in rhotic varieties), avoid an extra vowel after the /d/, and produce a clean /ʃ/ before /ɪp/. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on the /ɑːr/ vs /æ/ distinction, then a quick /ʃ/ release into /ɪp/.
US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced; first syllable often /ˈhɑːrd/ with a longer /ɑː/. UK: non-rhotic tendencies may reduce the /r/; some speakers use /ˈhɑːdˌʃɪp/ without the rhotic; vowel quality in /ɑː/ may be shorter. AU: generally rhotic with rounded, drawn-out /ɑː/ and clear /r/ in careful speech; some Australian speakers may flatten the vowel slightly. Overall, the core /h/ + /ɑː/ + /rd/ + /ʃɪp/ structure remains, but rhoticity and vowel length vary.
Two main challenges: first, the /ɑːr/ vs /ɑː/ vowel length and rhoticity in US English; speakers often mispronounce it as /ˈhɑrd-ɪp/ by dropping the /ʃ/ or misplacing the /r/ after the vowel. Second, the cluster /rdʃ/ requires a quick transition from /d/ to /ʃ/ with a light /p/ release. Focus on a smooth glide from /r/ into /ʃ/ and a crisp final /p/ for accuracy.
The key unique feature is the /rdʃ/ cluster at the end of the first stressed syllable transitioning into /ɪp/. The /rd/ and /ʃ/ must be distinct yet connected, making the sequence susceptible to elision if not practiced. Emphasize articulatory timing to keep /d/ from swallowing the /ʃ/. This makes hardship notably different from similar words like hardship’s close relatives in rhythm.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /r/ and longer /ɑːr/; keep /ˈhɑɹdˌʃɪp/ with a clear r-color; - UK: non-rhotic or weak /r/, so /ˈhɑːdˌʃɪp/ without a pronounced /r/; vowel quality a back open /ɑː/; - AU: rhotic with a more centralized or back /ɑː/; keep /ˈhɑːdˌʃɪp/ and ensure the /d/ is not palatalized; IPA references: /ˈhɑːdˌʃɪp/ US, /ˈhɑːdˌʃɪp/ UK, /ˈhɑːdˌʃɪp/ AU.
Hardship originates from the Middle English word har(den) or hardish, a blend of hard + -ship, borrowed from Old English heard (hard, severe) with the suffix -ship denoting a state or condition. The sense evolved from describing something physically hard or severe to a metaphorical state of being in difficulty or distress. By the 14th century, hardship was used to depict harsh conditions affecting livelihood and survival, particularly in agrarian and wartime contexts. Over time, the term broadened to encompass emotional and social strain, including poverty, illness, and displacement. In modern usage, hardship retains a clear connotation of sustained, challenging circumstances that require endurance and resilience. First known uses appear in legal and domestic contexts, later expanding to economic and social hardship as industrialization and global travel increased the scope of shared human adversity. The word has remained stable in form, with the -ship suffix continuing to signal a state or condition rather than a physical object, reinforcing its abstract application to human experience.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "hardship" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "hardship"
-hip sounds
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