2 syllables: Ke, ogh plan. Stress on Ke.
KEE-oh-plan
/ˈkiː.oʊ plæn/
Keogh plan is pronounced KEE-oh-plan (/ˈkiː.oʊ plæn/). It has two syllables (Ke-ogh plan), with the stress on "Ke". A Keogh plan is a US-based, tax-advantaged retirement account available to self-employed individuals and some small-business owners. Named after Senator Maurice B. Keogh, these plans allow self-employed workers to set aside pre-tax income for retirement, subject to annual limits and specific regulatory rules. The term refers to both the plan type and its eligibility rules within the broader pension framework.
nounA Keogh plan is a US-based, tax-advantaged retirement account available to self-employed individuals and some small-business owners. Named after Senator Maurice B. Keogh, these plans allow self-employed workers to set aside pre-tax income for retirement, subject to annual limits and specific regulatory rules. The term refers to both the plan type and its eligibility rules within the broader pension framework.
"I opened a Keogh plan to maximize my retirement contributions as a self-employed consultant."
"The government changed the contribution limits for Keogh plans last year."
"We compared a Keogh plan with a traditional IRA to decide which offers better long-term tax advantages."
Pronounce as KEA-oh plæn. The first word starts with a long E sound /iː/ plus a secondary syllable /oʊ/, sounding like ‘Kee-oh’ with the final ‘gh’ producing a silent or subtle /ɡ/ influence in many speakers. The stress is on the first syllable of Keogh: /ˈkiːoʊ/. The second word is ‘plan’ /plæn/, with the æ as in ‘cat’. Overall: /ˈkiːoʊ plæn/. Audio reference: You can listen to native practice on Pronounce or Forvo using “Keogh plan.”
Common errors include: (1) flattening the /iː/ into a short /ɪ/ as in ‘kit’ for the first syllable; (2) mispronouncing /ˈkiːoʊ/ as /ˈkeɪoʊ/ by adding an extra diphthong or misplacing the stress; (3) pronouncing gh as /ɡ/ in ‘Keogh’, instead of treating ‘gh’ as indicating a long /iː/ sound in some dialects; correction: keep /iː/ in the first syllable and avoid /g/ sound, ending with /oʊ/ or a clean /oʊ/ glide, not /aʊ/. Finally, ensure the second word has /plæn/ with æ.
In US English, /ˈkiːoʊ plæn/ with a clear long /iː/ followed by /oʊ/; non-rhotic tendencies are minimal. UK pronunciation tends to keep /ˈkiːɒ/ or /ˈkiːɒ plæn/ depending on speaker, with a shorter /ɒ/ quality in some regions and a slightly less prominent /oʊ/ glide. Australian accents often feature a more centralized vowel quality; /ˈkiːɒ/ or /ˈkiːə/ can occur, while rhoticity is typically non-rhotic in CA or UK-like; the final /æ/ remains. Always listen for the vowel shift in the first syllable and the second’s short a.
The difficulty stems from the ambiguous English spelling of Keogh; the ‘eo’ blends into a long ‘ee-oh’ sequence and the historical name carries a silent- or reduced-gh influence that many speakers don’t reproduce intuitively. The two-syllable first word also requires precise vowel length: /iː/ then /oʊ/, with a primary stress on KEI- syllable. The consonant cluster /pl/ in ‘plan’ is straightforward, but the overall phrase demands careful pacing and glottal rhythm because it’s a specialized financial term often encountered in dense text.
Yes. The unique nuance is the integration of a two-syllable first word with a long vowel in the first vowel sequence and a glide into the second syllable, followed by the short ‘plan’. The name’s origin from a surname implies that many speakers subconsciously produce a non-native rhythm. Practice focusing on the transition from /iː/ to /oʊ/ within the first word and keeping the sharp /æ/ in ‘plan,’ while maintaining the overall two-word trochaic rhythm.
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US: rhotic, clear /r/ only where appropriate;The key vowels: /iː/ and /oʊ/ with a distinct glide; stress on KEI- of Keogh. UK: potential /ɪ/ or /iː/ variation; /ɒ/ in some dialects; Less rhotic. AU: non-rhotic; /iː/ remains; /oʊ/ realized as /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ depending on speaker; ensure lip rounding aligns with the /oʊ/. IPA references: /ˈkiːoʊ plæn/.
The term Keogh plan derives from its association with Senator Maurice B. Keogh, who chaired the U.S. Senate committee on the National Taxation? The plan originated in the 1960s–70s as a vehicle for self-employed individuals to shelter retirement savings from current taxes. The concept evolved from earlier employer-sponsored pension frameworks, adapting to the growing number of sole proprietors and small businesses seeking tax-advantaged retirement options. Keogh plans were codified in federal regulations and gradually refined through IRS guidance and legislative amendments, retaining the surname as a recognizable label for this retirement vehicle. The first known references tied explicitly to Senator Keogh appeared in policy discussions and tax reform debates of the 1960s, with formal statutory definitions following in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act era and related tax code provisions. Over decades, the plan variants (HR-10 plans, individually designed nonstandardized plans) have been discussed and modified to accommodate changing contribution limits, eligibility, and reporting requirements, while the eponymous name remained a practical shorthand in professional finance circles. In contemporary practice, the term “Keogh plan” consistently names a self-employed-focused retirement arrangement distinct from standard employer-sponsored plans, though the regulatory environment continues to evolve with ongoing tax policy updates.
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Words that rhyme with "Keogh plan"
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-US: rhotic; /ˈkiːoʊ plæn/; /r/ not present in Keogh; /oʊ/ glide clear. -UK: /ˈkiːɒ plæn/ or /ˈkiːɒː plæn/ with a shorter /o/; non-rhotic; vowel quality more rounded or centralized. -AU: non-rhotic; /ˈkiːɒ plæn/ or /ˈkiːə plæn/ in some speakers; /oʊ/ realized as /əʊ/ or longer /ɔʊ/ depending on region.
