3 syllables: Man, u, script. Stress on Man.
MAN-yuh-skript
/ˈmænjəsˌkɹɪpt/
Manuscript is pronounced MAN-yuh-skript (/ˈmænjəsˌkɹɪpt/). It has three syllables (Man-u-script), with the stress on "Man". Manuscript is a written or typed document that contains the text of a play, book, letter, or other composition before it is published or printed. It can also refer to the original handwritten or typed draft created by an author, columnist, or researcher. The term emphasizes the form before final formatting, typesetting, or publication. Often used in publishing, academia, and archiving contexts.
nounManuscript is a written or typed document that contains the text of a play, book, letter, or other composition before it is published or printed. It can also refer to the original handwritten or typed draft created by an author, columnist, or researcher. The term emphasizes the form before final formatting, typesetting, or publication. Often used in publishing, academia, and archiving contexts.
How to Pronounce Manuscript
"The author submitted the manuscript to the publisher for review."
"Researchers kept a manuscript of their field notes here for safekeeping."
"The manuscript draft underwent several revisions before submission."
US: /ˈmæn.jəˌskrɪpt/ or /ˈmæn.juːˌskrɪpt/ with a stress on the first syllable. UK: /ˈmæn.juːˌskrɪpt/, the /juː/ sequence can be a clear y-glide after /n/. AU: /ˈmæ.njuːˌskrɪpt/ with a rounded lip position for /ɔ/ quality? Practically, aim for /ˈmæn.juːˌskrɪpt/ in most Australian speech. Ensure the /skr/ cluster links smoothly without adding extra vowel between /n/ and /skr/. Audio reference: listen to pronunciations on reputable dictionaries or Pronounce resource pages and match the flow: stressed first syllable, quick secondary stress on the third syllable in connected speech.
Two common errors: (1) Inserting an unnecessary vowel between the /n/ and the /skr/ cluster (e.g., /ˈmænjuːeˌskrɪpt/). (2) Not clearly pronouncing the /skr/ sequence, leading to /skrɪpt/ with weak /s/ or a skipped /r/. Correction: keep the /n/ immediately followed by /ˌskrɪpt/; practice with a quick transition from /n/ to /s/ without an extra vowel, and maintain the /k/ as a hard stop before /r/ to avoid /krɪpt/ becoming /krɪpt/.
In US English, there is often a slight schwa or reduced vowel in the first syllable, yielding /ˈmæn.jəˌskrɪpt/ or /ˈmæn.juːˌskrɪpt/. UK English tends to preserve a clearer /juː/ after /n/ as in /ˈmæn.juːˌskrɪpt/. Australian English typically aligns with US but can have a shorter /æ/ and a harsher /t/ in some rural accents, sometimes rendering /ˈmænjʊˌskrɪpt/ with less central vowel reduction. Across all, the core segments /ˈmæn/ or /ˈmæn.juː/ + /skrɪpt/ remain, with subtle vowel length and rhoticity variations.
The difficulty arises from the consonant cluster /skr/ immediately after the syllable boundary and the /j/ glide after the first syllable in some pronunciations. The /æ/ vowel in the first syllable can vary, and the transition from /n/ to /j/ or /juː/ is rapid, requiring precise tongue movement. Focus on: 1) keeping /n/ followed closely by /j/ or /juː/ without inserting another vowel; 2) producing a crisp /skr/ sequence with no vowel before /k/; 3) maintaining final /pt/ without devoicing. IPA cues: /ˈmæn.jəˌskrɪpt/ (US) vs /ˈmæn.juːˌskrɪpt/ (UK) when appropriate.
A unique point is the consonant cluster /skr/ immediately after the second syllable anchor, which can be challenging in fast speech. Also, the optional vowel length in the first syllable, which affects the perceived speed and rhythm, makes consistent accuracy tricky. Practicing minimal pairs like manus-cript to ensure a clean /mæn/ or /mæn.juː/ onset and crisp /skrɪpt/ closure helps solidify correct articulation.
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Manuscript comes from the Latin manus (hand) and scribere (to write). The term originally referred to documents written by hand, contrasting with those produced by printing presses. The earliest Latin forms included manuscriptu (handwriting) and Latinized compounds in medieval and scholastic contexts. In English, manuscript appeared in the 15th century as a word for handwritten texts, later broadening to any text drafted before printing or publication. As printing evolved, manuscript retained its identity as the pre-publication or pretypeset source, often used in legal, literary, and archival settings. Throughout centuries, the meaning shifted slightly from a strictly handwritten document to a more general “draft text” that may be handwritten, typed, or digitized, but always signaling an earlier stage of textual development. The voice of the word remains tied to the craft of writing by hand and the historical process of shaping a work from concept to finished product.
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Words that rhyme with "Manuscript"
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