2 syllables: Lar, gest. Stress on Lar.
LAHR-juhst
/ˈlɑɹdʒəst/
Largest is pronounced LAHR-juhst (/ˈlɑɹdʒəst/). It has two syllables (Lar-gest), with the stress on "Lar". Largest (adj.) denotes the greatest in size or extent among a group. It is commonly used to describe objects, regions, or quantities that exceed others in dimension, mass, or importance. In usage, it can function attributively before a noun or as a predicative complement, often paired with 'the' in superlative contexts.
adjectiveLargest (adj.) denotes the greatest in size or extent among a group. It is commonly used to describe objects, regions, or quantities that exceed others in dimension, mass, or importance. In usage, it can function attributively before a noun or as a predicative complement, often paired with 'the' in superlative contexts.
- You often mis-handle the /dʒ/ after /r/; try to avoid inserting a separate vowel before /dʒ/. Practice by saying l-a-r + dʒ quickly as one unit: /lɑːr.dʒəst/. - Under-pronounce the final /st/—don’t let the 't' merge with the 's' or disappear in rapid speech. Keep a crisp /t/ followed by a clear /s/. - Vowel quality in the first syllable can drift toward /æ/ or /ɒ/ in faster speech; focus on a broad /ɑː/ or /ɒː/ depending on your accent, with consistent tongue height. Practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the same mouth shapes. - Don’t shorten the middle syllable too much; maintain a distinct /dʒ/ onset for a natural bite between syllables. Use minimal pairs to tune the vowel shift and consonant timing.
How to Pronounce Largest
"The largest planet in our solar system is Jupiter."
"They built the largest warehouse in the city."
"Among the candidates, she offered the largest contribution."
Pronounce as /ˈlɑːr.dʒəst/ in many US and UK accents, with primary stress on the first syllable: LAR-djuhst. For US speakers, the r-coloring is strong; for UK speakers, you’ll hear a more non-rhotic approach, closer to /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/. In Australian English, expect /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/ with a clear, clipped ending. Mouth positions: start with a low-back open vowel /ɑː/, then the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ as in 'judge,' and end with /əst/ or a schwa before /st/ in rapid speech. Audio reference: consult a pronunciation archive or trusted dictionary audio to hear the precise /ˈlɑːrdʒəst/ rhythm and velar timing.
Common mistakes: (1) Not realizing the /dʒ/ is a single palato-alveolar affricate; avoid mispronouncing as /lɑrdʒ_ɪst/ with a separate /j/ sound. (2) Reducing the /ɑː/ to a short /æ/ in casual speech—keep the broad /ɑː/ or /ɑ/ vowel for accuracy. (3) Misplacing stress, saying /ˈlɑːr.dʒɪst/ with uneven emphasis. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable, ensure the /dʒ/ is a single sound immediately after /r/ and before the /ə/ or /ɪ/ vowel, and finish strongly with /st/. Listen to native audio and mimic the smoother transition between /r/ and /dʒ/.“},{
US: stronger rhotic /r/; /lɑɹ.dʒəst/ with a rhotic gloss on the first syllable. UK: non-rhotic, /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/ with a shorter final syllable; may reduce the middle vowel slightly. AU: /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/ similar to UK but with slightly broader vowel sounds and less pronounced /r/ in some speakers; some may have a near-centralized vowel in the first syllable. IPA references guide exact pronunciation: US /ˈlɑɹ.dʒəst/, UK /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/, AU /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/.
The difficulty lies in the cluster /lɑːr/ followed by the palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/. For non-native speakers, producing /dʒ/ quickly after a rhotic or non-rhotic vowel can cause slippage into /tʃ/ or a separate /j/ sound. Also, maintaining the short, crisp ending /st/ after /ə/ or /ɪ/ without lightening the final consonant requires precise timing. Practice with slow loops of the sequence /l/–/ɑː/–/r/–/dʒ/–/ə/–/st/ and compare with native pronunciation to refine fluency.
In most accents, the /ar/ portion in 'Largest' is realized as /ɑːr/ in rhotic accents (US), with the /r/ pronounced. In non-rhotic contexts (typical UK, some AU), the /r/ is not pronounced in coda position, yielding /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/ or similar. The key is to maintain the /l/ onset and /dʒ/ immediately after /r/ or its absence, ensuring a smooth transition into the final /əst/ or /ɪst/ depending on the accent. For clarity, practice both rhotic and non-rhotic versions while listening to native samples.
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- US: Strong rhoticity; keep the /r/ well-formed and let it color the preceding vowel; ensure the /dʒ/ is tight immediately after the /r/. Vowel: /ɑː/ as in 'father' for stressed syllable, but adapt to your own speaker vowel inventory. UK: Non-rhotic in many varieties; the /r/ not pronounced in coda position. The /dʒ/ remains a clean affricate; the initial vowel can be slightly shorter. AU: Similar to UK with a more open /ɒ/ or /aː/ in /lɑː/; keep the /dʒ/ crisp and avoid over-epenthetic vowel. IPA references: US /ˈlɑɹ.dʒəst/; UK /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/; AU /ˈlɑː.dʒɪst/.
Largest comes from the superlative form of 'large,' derived from the Old French large (meaning broad, wide) which itself traces to the Frankish *lārjo* and the Latin largus (generous, wide). The comparative/ superlative suffix -est signals the extreme degree and is common in Germanic languages. The term began appearing in English in the late Middle English period as a superlative of 'large,' used to denote the greatest size among a group. Over centuries, 'largest' retained its primary spatial sense but broadened to figurative uses (largest impact, largest amount). The word aligns with other superlatives formed with -est, and its semantic reach expands in modern contexts to include abstract magnitudes, emphasizing relative extremity rather than absolute worth.
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Words that rhyme with "Largest"
-est sounds
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