3 syllables: Kan, ga, roo. Stress on roo.
kang-gur-OO
/ˌkæŋɡɚˈu/
Kangaroo is pronounced kang-gur-OO (/ˌkæŋɡɚˈu/). It has three syllables (Kan-ga-roo), with the stress on "roo". Kangaroo is a noun for a large marsupial native to Australia, known for its powerful hind legs, long tail, and distinctive hopping gait. Commonly used to describe this animal in zoological or casual contexts, it also appears in phrases like “Kangaroo care” and in cultural references. The word is widely recognized in English-speaking contexts and often serves as a basic vocabulary term in travel or biology discussions.
nounKangaroo is a noun for a large marsupial native to Australia, known for its powerful hind legs, long tail, and distinctive hopping gait. Commonly used to describe this animal in zoological or casual contexts, it also appears in phrases like “Kangaroo care” and in cultural references. The word is widely recognized in English-speaking contexts and often serves as a basic vocabulary term in travel or biology discussions.
"The kangaroo escaped the enclosure and bounded across the field."
"In Australia, you’ll often see kangaroos grazing near the road at dusk."
"The scientist studied the kangaroo’s locomotion and discovered unique energy-saving mechanics."
You pronounce it as kan-GA-roo, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈruː/. The first syllable uses /æ/ as in ‘cat,’ the second syllable uses a schwa-like /ə/ before the final /ruː/ where the long /uː/ glides from /r/ to /uː/. Mouth position starts with a front open vowel, then a relaxed mid vowel, and ends with a tight lips for the long /uː/. In rapid speech you may hear /ˌkæŋˌɡəˈɹuː/ with reduced schwa.”,
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (kaṅ-GA-roo), pronouncing the middle /ə/ as a full vowel like /æ/ or /ɛ/, and mispronouncing the final /ruː/ as /roʊ/ or /ru/ without length. Correction: keep primary stress on GA, use a relaxed mid vowel in the middle, and glide into a long /uː/ with rounded lips. Practice with slow, deliberate pronunciation: /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈruː/ and then accelerate while maintaining the vowel quality and final length.
In US and UK, the word holds secondary stress on the first two syllables with the final /ruː/ as a long vowel; rhoticity affects linking before consonants in US speech, but not the core vowel. Australian English tends to reduce the /ɡə/ to a more centralized vowel and may pronounce the middle syllable with a softer schwa or even omit it slightly in fast speech, producing something closer to /ˌkæŋˈɡəːɹuː/ or /ˌkæŋˈɡəɹuː/. The final vowel remains long /uː/ in all dialects, with slight rounding differences.
Two main challenges: the mid /ə/ (schwa) in the second syllable can be hard to hear and produce cleanly, and the final /ruː/ requires length and lip rounding. Additionally, the sequence /ŋ.ɡ/ requires careful tongue posture to avoid blending into a single sound. Focus on clearly separating the nasal /ŋ/ from the /g/ and sustaining the final /uː/ while rounding the lips for the long vowel.
A key nuance is the stiff-linger effect between the nasal /ŋ/ and /ɡ/ in rapid speech. You can mispronounce by letting the /ŋ/ bleed into the /ɡ/ or by shortening the /ɡə/ so the middle syllable sounds like /ga/. Practice by isolating the cluster: say /ŋɡ/ slowly, then insert the vowel /ə/ to form /ŋɡə/. This helps with natural timing and prevents blending.”
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The word Kangaroo comes from the Guugu Yimithirr word gangurru, meaning ‘a large black-and-white cockatoo’ in some legends; however the conventional etymology ties Kangaroo to the Australian Aboriginal word gangurru referring to a large macropod with a pouch. Early European naturalists adopted the term, and it entered English in the 18th century during explorations of Australia. The first known written usage is around 1770 in marginal notes associated with Peter Cunningham’s reports and later in Captain Cook’s journals, though some sources attribute earlier sightings to Europeans transcribing Aboriginal vocalizations. Over time, “kangaroo” generalized to refer to the group of animals known as macropods, and the term has retained its distinctly Australian association in global English usage. The word’s pronunciation shifts reflect English phonology meeting Aboriginal phonotactics, leading to the broad adoption in various dialects while preserving core vowels and the final /uː/ sound in standard English usage. Modern usage also includes metaphorical phrases (e.g., “kangaroo court”) that paradoxically extend the animal’s name beyond zoological references, while still echoing the animal’s distinctive leaps and pouch-based reproduction.
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Words that rhyme with "Kangaroo"
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