2 syllables: Hec, tares. Stress on Hec.
HEK-tahrz
/ˈhɛˌktɑɹz/
Hectares is pronounced HEK-tahrz (/ˈhɛˌktɑɹz/). It has two syllables (Hec-tares), with the stress on "Hec". Hectares is a unit of area measurement equal to 10,000 square meters, commonly used for land and property. In everyday speech, it is pluralized with a final s: /ˈhɛk.teərz/ in many varieties, though some speakers may simplify to /-tərz/ or /-tɚz/. It functions as a noun and appears in discussions of land area, agriculture, and real estate. The term originates from the metric system and is widely used internationally.
nounHectares is a unit of area measurement equal to 10,000 square meters, commonly used for land and property. In everyday speech, it is pluralized with a final s: /ˈhɛk.teərz/ in many varieties, though some speakers may simplify to /-tərz/ or /-tɚz/. It functions as a noun and appears in discussions of land area, agriculture, and real estate. The term originates from the metric system and is widely used internationally.
- Pronouncing it as /ˈhɪk.tærz/ or /ˈhɛk.tars/, misplacing the second vowel. Correct by asserting /teər/ or /tɛə/ in the second syllable and keeping the first syllable /ˈhɛk/ crisp. - Slurring the /t/ into the following vowel, producing /ˈhektərz/ rather than /ˈhɛk.teərz/. Break the word: /ˈhɛk/ + /teər/ + /z/ and then blend. - Mispronouncing the final /z/ as /s/ or /d/. Use a voiced /z/ with full vocal fold vibration, not a voiceless /s/; keep it soft but audible. - Working from L1 transfer: if your language lacks /t/ followed by a mid vowel in close succession, you may insert extra vowels. Train with minimal pairs to solidify the transition from /k/ to /t/ to /teər/.
"The farm covers 150 hectares."
"Developers purchased several hectares of land for housing."
"Anticipating growth, the city rezoned the hectares to residential use."
Pronounce as /ˈhɛk.teərz/ in US and UK dictionaries, with the stress on the first syllable. The first syllable is a short open-mid front vowel like 'bed' without the exact 'ed' ending, and the second syllable features a long mid-vowel /eə/ or close to /ɛə/ depending on the accent; the final /z/ is voiced. Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw, lips neutral, then raise the middle of the tongue for /ɛ/, glide into /t/ with a light release, and finish with /ɜːr/ or /ɛə/ before /z/. Audio reference: consult Pronounce, Forvo, or Your preferred pronunciation tool for a native-speaker model.
Common mistakes include truncating the second syllable to /tərz/ with a short, clipped /ə/, or confusing the vowel in the second syllable with a tense /ɪ/ as in ‘height’. Another error is misplacing stress, saying /ˈhɪk.teərz/ or /ˈhɛk.tɛrz/. Corrective tips: keep the first syllable /ˈhɛk/ with a clear /ɛ/ vowel, use a distinct /teər/ or /tɛə/ in the second syllable, and end with a voiced /z/. Practice saying it slowly: /ˈhɛk.teərz/ and then blend. IPA guidance helps align mouth positions.
In US English you’ll likely hear /ˈhɛkˌteərz/ with rhotic r and a noticeable /er/ or /er/ in the final syllable; in UK English the second syllable often has a longer, non-rhotic /tɛː/ plus /z/—roughly /ˈhekˌteəz/ or /ˈhekˌteəz/, with less pronounced rhotics; Australian pronunciation is close to UK but with a somewhat flatter vowel in /eə/ and a crisper /z/ ending. The final syllable may have reduced vowel quality in rapid speech.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable structure with a mid-vowel in the first syllable and a diphthong or long vowel in the second syllable, plus a final voiced fricative /z/. People often misplace stress or substitute /tər/ for /teər/ due to connected speech or language transfer. Focus on keeping the first syllable crisp /ˈhɛk/ and producing the second syllable as a clear /teər/ or /tɛə/ before the final /z/ for accurate pronunciation.
The word features a rare combination for many learners: an aspirated /t/ between two vowels followed by an /eə/ diphthong and a final /z/. The weakly reduced second vowel in fast speech can merge toward /ə/ or /ɪ/ if rushed, but maintaining a distinct /t/ release and an audible /eə/ is key. Practice with minimal pairs to lock in the /eə/ quality before the final /z/.
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- US: stress stays on the first syllable; rhotic /r/ is possible; ensure the second syllable maintains a clear /eə/ rather than a schwa. - UK: less rhotic influence; the second syllable tends toward /teə/ with a longer vowel; keep final /z/ assertive but not clipped. - AU: similar to UK with a slightly broader /eː/ quality; pronunciations may lean towards /ˈhek.teəz/; keep the /z/ voiced and crisp. IPA references: US /ˈhɛkˌteərz/, UK /ˈhekˌteəz/, AU /ˈhekˌteəz/; listen to native speakers for subtle vowel coloring.
Hectares comes from the French word hectare, which itself derives from the Greek akrátēs meaning ‘a land’ combined with the suffix -are, used in the metric system to denote a unit of area. The term was adopted into English in the 19th century with the expansion of standardized land measurement in Europe and the adoption of the metric system. The root word hectare was first used in late 18th–early 19th century French scientific and agricultural writings as a measure for land area, and it became prevalent as international trade and land management required consistent units. The English borrowing kept the stress on the first syllable and typically preserved the /ˈhɛk.teər/ structure, with plural -s forming /ˈhɛk.tɛərz/ or /ˈhɛk.tɛərz/ depending on dialect. Over time, the pronunciation shifted slightly in various English-speaking regions, but the core meaning and usage remained stable. First known uses appear in agricultural treatises and geographic surveys from the early 1800s, aligning with the expansion of metric measurement in education and public administration.
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Words that rhyme with "Hectares"
-ars sounds
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