2 syllables: hot, ter. Stress on hot.
HAH-tur
/ˈhɑtɚ/
hotter is pronounced HAH-tur (/ˈhɑtɚ/). It has two syllables (hot-ter), with the stress on "hot". Hotter is the comparative form of hot, meaning more warm or intense. It typically describes temperature, intensity, or frequency, and is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a flapped or unreleased ending depending on accent. The word often links to context clues like weather, food, or emotions, signaling a shift toward higher heat or stronger emphasis.
Hotter is the comparative form of hot, meaning more warm or intense. It typically describes temperature, intensity, or frequency, and is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a flapped or unreleased ending depending on accent. The word often links to context clues like weather, food, or emotions, signaling a shift toward higher heat or stronger emphasis.
- You might over-articulate the second syllable, turning it into 'her' rather than a reduced /ər/; aim for a light, unstressed ending. - Some speakers use a very strong, aspirated /t/ that makes the word sound harsh; keep the /t/ crisp but not overemphasized, especially in connected speech. - In rapid speech, the /t/ can become a flap or even disappear before a vowel in casual American contexts; practice maintaining a clear /t/ before a following vowel by segmenting slowly, then blending.
"The soup is hotter than I expected — be careful."
"If you train in the heat, you’ll perform better on hot days."
"Their attitude got hotter as the argument progressed."
Pronounce it as /ˈhɒtər/ (UK) or /ˈhɑːtər/ or /ˈhɔːtər/ (US) with primary stress on the first syllable. The first syllable rhymes with 'cot' or 'caught' depending on your accent, followed by a lighter, unstressed '-er' syllable. Keep the /t/ crisp in careful speech; in rapid speech it may be a light tap or flap before a vowel, as in casual American usage. Mouth: start with a wide mouth for /ɑː/ or /ɒ/, keep the tongue high for /ɜː/ only if your dialect shifts, and finish with a relaxed, mid-back vowel for /ər/.
Two frequent errors: (1) treating the second syllable as a full vowel like 'er' in 'her' instead of a reduced schwa; pronounce it as /ˈhɒtər/ with a clear /ər/ only in rhotic accents. (2) Not articulating the /t/ crisp enough, making it sound like 'hot-uh' or slurring to /ˈhoʊtə/. Correction: emphasize the /t/ by holding the tongue tip at the alveolar ridge briefly, then release into a short unstressed /ər/. Practice with minimal pairs to ensure the /t/ remains plosive in careful speech.
In US English, the first syllable often has a lax vowel in some regions, giving /ˈhɑːtər/ or /ˈhɒtər/ with rhotic /r/. In UK English, /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ before the /t/ and a non-rhotic or weakly rhotic final /ər/ depending on region. Australian English tends toward /ˈhɒtə/ with a more centralized or fronted first vowel and a more rolled or tapped /t/ depending on speed, sometimes flapping in casual speech. Across all, the main variation is vowel quality and rhoticity; the syllable boundary remains strong on the first syllable, followed by a lighter /ər/.
The difficulty lies in balancing a crisp alveolar /t/ with a short, unstressed second syllable that carries a reduced vowel without losing clarity. Some speakers merge /t/ with a tap or flapped sound in rapid speech, altering the perceived word boundary. Others misplace the mouth shape for the first vowel, especially if their native variety has a different /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ quality. Focusing on timing—stressing the first syllable while letting the second glide into a light /ər/—helps produce a natural hotter.
Note the conditional vowel in the second syllable: for many speakers, it is not a full vowel; keep the second syllable centered around schwa-like /ə/ or reduced /ɚ/. This reduces tension and preserves the clean /t/ release in the first syllable. Tip: practice with the phrase hotter weather to anchor the intonation and ensure you’re not adding extra vowels in the second syllable.
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- US: Vowel in the first syllable tends to be broader; may sound /ˈhɑːtər/ with rhotic final /ɚ/ depending on region. Focus on a strong but not harsh /t/ and a relaxed /ə/ or /ɚ/ in the second syllable. - UK: The first vowel is often /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ with non-rhotic ending; keep a crisp /t/ and a lighter /ə/ in the second syllable. - AU: Similar to UK but with a slightly higher tongue position; the /t/ is often a clearer alveolar stop, and the final vowel may be reduced further toward /ə/. References: IPA for each standard, with practical mouth positions and typical region-based vowel shifts.
Hotter comes from the adjective hot, which derives from Old English hat, related to Dutch heet and German heiß. The comparative suffix -er attaches to adjectives to form a comparative degree, originally indicating a measurable increase or degree. Over time, hotter specialized to describe increased temperature or intensity, often in both physical properties (heat) and metaphorical sense (heated debates, heated emotions). The earliest English usage of hot as a descriptor dates back to early medieval texts, with the comparative form clearly established by the Middle English period. The semantic range expanded as scientific and culinary vocabularies developed, leading to common phrases like hotter weather, hotter peppers, and hotter conversations in modern English. The word now integrates seamlessly across informal speech and formal writing, maintaining its core meaning of greater warmth or intensity while adopting metaphorical extensions in culture and media.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "hotter" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "hotter" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "hotter"
-ter sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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