5 syllables: in, tra, pre, neur, ship. Stress on neur.
in-truh-pruh-NURR-ship
/ɪn trə prə ˈnɜr ʃɪp/
intrapreneurship is pronounced in-truh-pruh-NURR-ship (/ɪn trə prə ˈnɜr ʃɪp/). It has five syllables (in-tra-pre-neur-ship), with the stress on "neur". Intrapreneurship refers to the practice of operating inside a larger organization with an entrepreneurial mindset, pursuing innovative projects and new ventures from within. It combines intrapersonal initiative, creative problem-solving, and strategic risk-taking to drive internal growth while leveraging the company’s resources. This term underscores proactive, initiative-driven corporate entrepreneurship rather than external startup founding.
Intrapreneurship refers to the practice of operating inside a larger organization with an entrepreneurial mindset, pursuing innovative projects and new ventures from within. It combines intrapersonal initiative, creative problem-solving, and strategic risk-taking to drive internal growth while leveraging the company’s resources. This term underscores proactive, initiative-driven corporate entrepreneurship rather than external startup founding.
"The company fostered intrapreneurship by funding employee-led innovation labs."
"She used intrapreneurship to turn a bold internal idea into a successful product line."
"Programs supporting intrapreneurship help retain talent by offering growth opportunities."
You say in-trə-prə-NURSH-hip, with primary stress on the fourth syllable: -nɜr- in intrapreneurship. IPA: US ˌɪntrəprɪˈnɜrʃɪp; UK ˌɪntrəprəˈnɜːʃɪp; AU ˌɪntrəprəˈnɜːʃɪp. Break it into in-trə-prə-nūr-ship; the ‘preneur’ part rhymes with ‘furner’ in pronunciation of the centered syllable, and the final -ship is /ʃɪp/. Pay attention to the schwa in the second syllable and the rhotic vowel in /ˈnɜr/ for US, with a longer vowel in UK/AU.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplacement, saying intrəˈpreneurship or ˌɪntrəpenˈtɜrship incorrectly; fix by stressing the fourth syllable: intrəprɪˈnɜrʃɪp. 2) Diphthong confusion in the ‘preneur’ portion; avoid a hard ‘neer’ as in ‘near’; use /nɜr/ with rhotacized vowel in US. 3) Blending the ‘preneur’ cluster too tightly, producing intrə-prə-norship; practice segmenting: in-trə-prə-nūr-ship, then speed. Practice with minimal pairs to cement the /ɜr/ and /ʃ/ sequence.
US pronounces the stressed syllable with a rhotic /ɜr/ as in ‘nurse’; /ˌɪntrəprɪˈnɜrʃɪp/. UK tends toward a non-rhotic or weak rhotic in some speakers, with /ɜː/ in the stressed syllable: /ˌɪntrəprəˈnɜːʃɪp/. AU often aligns with UK but may maintain US-like rhotics among younger speakers; vowels can be broader, and /ɜː/ may approach /ɜ/. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel quality in the /ɜr/ nucleus.
Phonetic challenges include the multi-syllabic sequence intrə-prə-nɜr-ʃɪp and the central rhotic vowel /ɜr/ embedded between unstressed syllables, plus the /pr/ cluster merging with /ɜr/ and /ʃ/; many speakers misplace stress on 'preneur' and simplify the /r/ or mispronounce the /r/ and /ʃ/ sequence. Slow down to isolate syllables and practice the /n/ + /t/ boundary before /r/. Use IPA cues and tongue position reminders to retain accuracy.
A key point is the subtle schwa in the second syllable (in-trə-prə-), which reduces the flow and can trip listeners when overpronounced. The sequence /ntrə-prə-/ requires careful linking to avoid a crowded consonant cluster; maintaining a light, quick /ə/ before the /ˈnɜr/ portion helps clarity. Additionally, the /ˈnɜr/ vowel is rhotacized in US, differing in non-rhotic varieties. Awareness of these micro-details makes a noticeable difference.
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Intrapreneurship is formed from in- (a prefix meaning inside), entrepreneur (from French entrepreneur, itself from Old French entre- ‘between, among’ andpreneur ‘one who undertakes’ from Latin prae- and French entreprendre), and -ship (a suffix denoting condition or quality). The coinage as a managerial concept arose in the late 20th to early 21st century as corporate strategy shifted toward internal innovation. The term builds on the older idea of entrepreneurship but specifies that the entrepreneurial activity occurs within an established organization rather than starting a new firm. The exact first known use is hard to pin down, but it gained prominence in business journalism and academic discourse as companies sought to emulate startup agility without relinquishing existing structure. It reflects a converging trend: entrepreneurial mindset applied to organizational scale, governance, and resources, enabling employees to initiate, develop, and scale new ventures within an enterprise.
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Words that rhyme with "intrapreneurship"
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