4 syllables: Man, i, pu, late. Stress on i.
muh-NIP-yuh-layt
/məˈnɪpjəˌleɪt/
Manipulate is pronounced muh-NIP-yuh-layt (/məˈnɪpjəˌleɪt/). It has four syllables (Man-i-pu-late), with the stress on "i". Manipulate is a verb meaning to control or influence someone or something, often in a skilled or devious way. It can also refer to operating or handling something with hands, especially tools or machines. The nuance ranges from practical manipulation of objects to psychological maneuvering in social contexts.
verbManipulate is a verb meaning to control or influence someone or something, often in a skilled or devious way. It can also refer to operating or handling something with hands, especially tools or machines. The nuance ranges from practical manipulation of objects to psychological maneuvering in social contexts.
"She tried to manipulate the data to fit her hypothesis, which raised ethical concerns."
"The therapist taught him how to manipulate the prosthetic limb with precision."
"Politicians often manipulate public opinion through selective messaging."
Pronounce it as mə-NIP-yuh-layt in General American; UK/Australian fans may sound the same but with slight vowel sharpening. The primary stress is on the second syllable: /məˈnɪpjʊleɪt/ (US). Break it into three parts: /mə/ (schwa), /ˈnɪp/ (short i with a crisp tʃ/ or p sound), and /leɪt/ (layt). You’ll feel your lips close for /p/, then glide into /j/ before /u/ and finally /t/ at the end. For audio reference, search for “Manipulate pronunciation” in pronunciation dictionaries or YouTube tutorials to hear the three-syllable rhythm.
Two common errors: (1) stressing the wrong syllable, saying /ˌmæ-nɪ-ˈpju-leɪt/ or /mə-ˌnɪp-ju-ˈleɪt/; emphasize the second syllable: /məˈnɪpjʊleɪt/. (2) mispronouncing the /pj/ cluster as /pju/ or dropping the /j/; aim for /ˈnɪp.ju/ with a light /j/ glide. To fix: practice the sequence /mə/ + /ˈnɪp/ + /jʊ/ + /leɪt/; keep the /p/ crisp, and insert the /j/ between /p/ and /u/.
US/UK/AU share the same syllable count and general rhythm, with minor vowel shifts. US tends to a slightly reduced first vowel /ə/ and clearer /t/ at the end; UK often features a less rhotic vowel in rapid speech but still keeps /ɪ/ in the second syllable; AU mirrors UK while sometimes merging /ju/ to /jʊ/ in casual speech. In all, the central stress remains on the second syllable: mə-ˈnɪp-jə-leɪt, with slight diphthong adjustments, e.g., /ə/ vs /ɪ/ in the second vowel depending on the speaker.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure and the consonant cluster between syllables: the /nɪp/ sequence followed by /ju/ creates a subtle liaison you must articulate crisply. The trailing /leɪt/ requires the long vowel /eɪ/ while keeping the final /t/ aspirated. Mastering the secondary /j/ glide between /p/ and /u/ helps maintain natural rhythm. Practice with slow tempo, then increment speed while maintaining the syllable boundary and stress.
Q: Is the first syllable stressed? A: No—the primary stress sits on the second syllable: mə-ˈnɪp-jə-leɪt. The trick is maintaining clean /p/ and emphasizing the /ˈnɪp/ blob as a compact nucleus before the /j/ glide into /ə/ then /leɪt/.
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Manipulate comes from the late Latin manipulate, from manus ‘hand’ + plere ‘to fill’ or ligatured from the Latin ‘manipulus’ meaning a small handful or band of soldiers. The term entered English in the 17th century, initially in military or mechanical senses (to handle or operate). Over time, its primary modern sense shifted toward influencing or exploiting others, often with a pejorative connotation. By the 18th–19th centuries, the semantic range expanded to include skillful handling of objects and instruments, and by the 20th century, social-psychological usage (to manipulate people) became prevalent. The stress pattern and vowel qualities have remained stable, with the prefix mani- meaning ‘hand’ and -pulate linked to pulare ‘to push’ in some historical computational analyses, though the common modern parsing emphasizes the “man-i-pu-late” structure and the late syllable stress shift common to three-syllable English verbs of Latin origin.
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Words that rhyme with "Manipulate"
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