2 syllables: hur, ry up. Stress on hur.
HUR-ee-uhp
/ˈhɝ.i ʌp/
Hurry Up is pronounced HUR-ee-uhp (/ˈhɝ.i ʌp/). It has two syllables (hur-ry up), with the stress on "hur". Hurry up is a two-word verb phrase meaning to move more quickly or to cause someone to move more quickly. It is commonly used in informal speech to express impatience or urgency. The phrase emphasizes speed over a longer duration, and the intonation often signals urgency in conversational context.
verbHurry up is a two-word verb phrase meaning to move more quickly or to cause someone to move more quickly. It is commonly used in informal speech to express impatience or urgency. The phrase emphasizes speed over a longer duration, and the intonation often signals urgency in conversational context.
- Bubble the /h/ and glide too soft; ensure a distinct /h/ onset rather than a breathy start. - Rounding of lips on /ɜːr/ or /ʌr/ can blur with the following /i/; keep the first syllable tense and the /r/ prominent. - Slurring /ʌp/ into the following consonants; emphasize a brief stop at the /p/ to give the phrase a clean finish. Actionable tips: practice with minimal pairs: hurry vs. hurry up vs. hurry up quickly; place focus on the /r/ and the rounded vowel in the first syllable; use slow practice then speed.”,
"- The bus is about to leave; hurry up or we'll miss it."
"- Hurry up, the concert starts in ten minutes."
"- If you don’t hurry up, we’ll be late for the meeting."
Say /ˈhʌr.i ʌp/ in UK or /ˈhɜː.ri ʌp/ in US; the first syllable 'hur' has a strong, tense vowel and rhotics in US (rhotic /ɜːr/), with the second syllable unstressed but clearly enunciated before the final /ʌp/. Your mouth forms a rounded but relaxed lip shape for /ʌ/ before the /p/ closure. There’s a light, quick coda on /r/ in many dialects. For Australian speakers, you’ll hear /ˈhʌ.ɹi ʌp/ with a non-rhotic approach and a short /ɹ/.”,
Common errors include misplacing stress (emphasizing the second syllable) and mispronouncing the /h/ or the /r/ in 'hurry' in non-rhotic dialects. Another frequent issue is running the 'up' too slowly, making it sound like /ʌp/ when it should be a quick, clipped element. Correct by practicing the strong first syllable /ˈhɜr/ or /ˈhʌr/ followed by a quick, lighter /i/ glide, then a crisp /ʌp/. Try minimal pairs: hurry - hurry up; hurrying - hurrying up to feel the tempo.”,
In US English, /ˈhɜːr.i ʌp/ with rhotic /ɜːr/ and a tensed first syllable; UK English tends toward /ˈhʌ.ri ʌp/ with a shorter /ɪ/ in the second syllable and non-rhoticization affecting linking; Australian tends to /ˈhɜː.ɹi ʌp/ with a tapped or approximant /ɹ/ and less vowel reduction in quick speech. The main differences lie in rhoticity, vowel quality, and the speed of the /ɹ/ or /ɻ/ articulation while preserving the two-stress pattern on hurry and the final unstressed up.”,
It’s about balancing the stressed first syllable with a rapid follow-through to /ʌp/. The /h/ onset, the rhotic or non-rhotic variable /r/, and the short tense vowel in /hɑːr/ in some dialects create a cluster that must stay distinct even at speed. The challenge is keeping the /r/ produced clearly before the vowel of the second syllable without slurring into the /ʌp/. In rapid speech, vowels may reduce, so you must consciously hold the vowel in the first syllable just enough to maintain clarity.”,
Note the two-syllable cadence with a single primary stress on the first word: HUR-ry UP. Keep the mouth briefly open for the /h/ onset, then snap the /r/ or /ɹ/ (depending on accent) quickly into /ɪ/ or /i/ before the final /ʌp/. Practicing with a metronome at 60 BPM, then 90 BPM, helps you lock the rhythm so the phrase lands crisply in everyday speech.
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- US: rhotic /ɜːr/ or /ɝ/ with pronounced /r/. Focus on a strong, clear /h/ and a compact, crisp /r/ before the /i/ vowel; keep /ʌ/ in /ʌp/ reduced but audible. - UK: non-rhotic tendency, avoid heavy /r/; emphasize the /ɪ/ or /i/ in the first syllable; keep /p/ crisp without aspiration loss. - AU: semi-rhotic to rhotic in fast speech; lean towards /ɹ/; maintain less vowel reduction in the second syllable; practice with a light, rapid /i/ before /ʌp/. Pronunciation references: IPA transcriptions /ˈhɜː.ri ʌp/ US, /ˈhʌ.ri ʌp/ UK, /ˈhɜː.ɹi ʌp/ AU; listen and imitate native speech for natural stress and rhythm.”,
Hurry up combines hurry, from Middle English hurren, likely of imitative origin suggestive of a quick, hurried movement, and up, a preposition indicating motion toward a higher tempo or urgency. The phrase appears in 19th-century American and British usage as a colloquial exhortation, often used in domestic or informal settings. Over time, hurry up has retained its imperative sense in direct address, sometimes softened by polite intonation in modern discourse, but more commonly used with a sharp, urgent prosody. The root hurry traces to Old English herian and related Germanic roots implying agitation or movement, evolving from general “to cause to hurry” to a specific directive to accelerate action. First known written uses surface in 1800s dictionaries and literature as a directive in conversational scenes, and by the mid-20th century became a staple of everyday English to convey impatience or time pressure.
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Words that rhyme with "Hurry Up"
- up sounds
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