4 syllables: in, tem, per, ance. Stress on tem.
in-TEM-pur-uhns
/ɪnˈtɛm.pɚ.əns/
intemperance is pronounced in-TEM-pur-uhns (/ɪnˈtɛm.pɚ.əns/). It has four syllables (in-tem-per-ance), with the stress on "tem". Intemperance refers to lack of restraint, especially in relation to drink or other pleasurable activities. It denotes excessive indulgence or behavior that exceeds accepted limits. The term is often used in moral, ethical, or historical contexts to critique uncontrolled habits.
Intemperance refers to lack of restraint, especially in relation to drink or other pleasurable activities. It denotes excessive indulgence or behavior that exceeds accepted limits. The term is often used in moral, ethical, or historical contexts to critique uncontrolled habits.
- You may neglect the stress on TEM or PER, producing a flat, monotone rhythm; practice by marking stress and speaking in four syllables. - The transition from /t/ to /p/ in the third syllable can cause a slight blend; ensure a small release between /t/ and /p/ so both consonants are heard. - Final /æns/ vs /ɑːns/ difference is subtle but important; in US you’ll hear /æns/ in most contexts, while UK/AU may use /ɑːns/; keep the final nasal plus s clear.
"Her intemperance at the banquet led to a public reprimand."
"The temperance movement grew in response to concerns about intemperance and its social harms."
"Historically, intemperance was criticized as a vice alongside greed and pride."
Pronounce as in-tem-per-ance, with primary stress on the third syllable: in-TEM-per-ance. IPA: US ˌɪn.tɛm.pəˈræs; UK ˌɪn.tem.pəˈrɑːns; AU ˌɪn.tem.pəˈrɑːns. Begin with a short initial /ɪ/, move to /tɛm/ for the second syllable, then a light /pə/ and end with /ræs/ or /rɑːns/. Ensure the 'tem' is clearly enunciated, and the final -ance has a soft 's' or 'ns' ending depending on accent.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing emphasis on -per- or -an-), mispronouncing the central /t/ or merging /tɛm/ into /tɛm.pə/ without clear syllable division, and finishing with a clipped /s/ instead of the nasal /ns/ or /ns/ ending. Correct by: (1) marking stress on TEM in-tem-PER-ance, (2) ensuring the /t/ is crisp but not aspirated into a full breath after /n/, (3) articulating the final /əns/ as /əns/ or /æns/ depending on variety. Listen for the subtle airy /ə/ before the final /r/ or /n/ depending on dialect.
US typically rhymes /ˈtɛm.pəˌreɪns/ or with secondary stress pattern; UK often /ˌɪn.tɛm.pəˈrɑːns/ with non-rhotic linkage and a broader /ɑː/ in final syllable; AU can be ~/ˌɪn.tɛm.pəˈrɑːns/ with slightly flatter vowels and a longer final /ɑː/. Note: primary stress is on the third syllable in many variants, but careful speech may place primary stress on -PER- depending on syllabic emphasis. The central vowel in the second syllable and the final rhoticity differ: US is rhotic with /r/ in final consonant cluster; UK typically non-rhotic, ending with /ɑːns/.
The difficulty lies in stacking three soft consonants in quick succession and transitioning from a light unstressed syllable to a stronger stressed syllable: in-TEM-per-ance. The middle syllable’s /m/ and /p/ cluster can blur, and the final -ance requires crisp nasal /ns/ or a dental-alveolar nasal quality in different dialects. Additionally, the prefix in- can reduce to a quick schwa before t-, so you must maintain accurate articulation across all four sounds without slurring.
There are no silent letters in intemperance; all letters contribute to the syllables: in-tem-per-ance. The challenge is not silent letters but precise articulation of unstressed vowels and the transition between syllables. The letter 'e' in the final -ance is typically pronounced as a syllabic nasal or schwa+nasal depending on accent. So focus on keeping each consonant audible and the final -ance clearly pronounced as /æns/ (US) or /ɑːns/ (UK/AU).
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- US: emphasize rhoticity lightly in the final syllable by keeping the r-appropriate quality; vowels are more central, with a clear /æ/ in TEM-; /ɚ/ rarely present here. - UK: non-rhotic; final /ˈr/ is not pronounced; use /ɑːns/ ending; longer vowel in final syllable. - AU: similar to UK in rhoticity, but vowels may be broader; use /ˌɪn.tem.pəˈrɑːns/ with a slightly longer final /ɑː/ and a rolled or tapped /r/ depending on speaker. - IPA references included above, aim to match learned norms in dictionaries; focus on vowel quality and final nasal.
Intemperance comes from the prefix in- (not) + temperance, which itself derives from Latin temperantia meaning restraint, moderation. The Latin temperantia combines tempus (time, a sense of moderation) and -ari (to fit, to bound) via the stem temper- (mix, proper proportion). In English, temperance originally signified moderation in all things and abstinence in drink. By the 16th–17th centuries, intemperance sharpened to mean excessive indulgence, especially in alcohol, aligning with moral and religious discourses of self-control. The word appears in early modern religious and legal texts, often in condemnations of vice. Over time, it broadened to cover any excess beyond social norms, with “intemperance” frequently contrasted with “temperance” as its opposite. First known uses appear in ethical debates of the Renaissance and early modern period, evolving through moral philosophy and social reform movements that linked intemperance to social harms and vice. In contemporary usage, it commonly references overindulgence in alcohol but can extend to other excesses like food, spending, or behavior, retaining its moralized nuance.
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