3 syllables: Mar, tin Lu, ther King. Stress on Mar.
MAHR-tin LOO-thur king
/ˈmɑɹtɪn ˈluːðɚ kɪŋ/
Martin Luther King is pronounced MAHR-tin LOO-thur king (/ˈmɑɹtɪn ˈluːðɚ kɪŋ/). It has three syllables (Mar-tin Lu-ther King), with the stress on "Mar". As a noun, a renowned American civil rights leader (1929–1968) whose advocacy for racial equality and nonviolent protest helped catalyze major social change. The name combines the given name Martin with surname Luther King, Jr., often used to refer to him in both formal and informal contexts. In speech, it is usually treated as three syllables for “Martin” and two for “Luther King,” spread across the full name in normal usage.
nounA renowned American civil rights leader (1929–1968) whose advocacy for racial equality and nonviolent protest helped catalyze major social change. The name combines the given name Martin with surname Luther King, Jr., often used to refer to him in both formal and informal contexts. In speech, it is usually treated as three syllables for “Martin” and two for “Luther King,” spread across the full name in normal usage.
How to Pronounce Martin Luther King
"Martin Luther King delivered the 'I Have a Dream' speech in 1963."
"University archives preserve many recordings of Martin Luther King’s sermons and public addresses."
"The city named a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr."
US: /ˌmɑːrˈtɪn ˈluːðər kiŋ/ or /ˌmɑːrˈtɪn ˈluːðər kiŋ/. The most salient stress pattern is on 'King' and the second syllable of 'Martin' depending on speaker, but many say 'MAR-tin LU-thər KING' with primary stress on 'King' in rapid speech. Mouth positions: start with a broad back vowel in 'Mar-' then a light alveolar tap for '-tin' in casual speech; 'Luther' has 'lu-' [luː], 'ther' [ðər] with a voiced dental fricative, and 'King' is a velar nasal with a high front vowel. For nomenclature, ensure 'Luther' is not confused with 'Luther' in religious contexts; keep the name intact as a proper noun.
Common errors: 1) Tripping on 'Martin' by misplacing stress or exaggerating the second syllable; 2) Mispronouncing 'Luther' as 'Luther' with a hard 'th' sound as in 'think' rather than the voiced dental fricative 'ð' as in 'the'; 3) Slurring 'King' with 'Luther' into 'LutherKing' or breaking it into 'King-Martin'; 4) Dropping the final 'r' in American rhotic speak or misplacing alveolar sounds. Corrections: emphasize ‘MAR-tin’ (still light), keep 'Luther' as 'LOO-ther' with the 'ð' sound, and 'King' as a single syllable with a clear velar nasal. Practice slow and careful enunciations, then speed up while maintaining clarity.
US: rhotic, 'King' strong, 'Luther' with a true 'ð' in many dialects; UK: often less rhotic, 'King' less tense, 'Luther' can be 'LOO-thə' or 'LOO-ðə', US-style 'ð' vs UK 'ð' often soft. AU: similar to UK with non-rhotic tendencies in many speakers, 'Martin' tends to be /ˈmɑːtɪn/ with a shorter 'a' and less emphasis on the second syllable. Overall, main differences are rhoticity and vowel quality in 'Martin' and 'King', plus precise 'ð' or 'θ' usage in 'Luther' depending on the speaker’s background.
Specific challenges: 1) The 'Luther' contains the voiced dental fricative /ð/ after a stressed syllable, which some learners find tricky; 2) The sequence 'Martin' can lead to misplacing the stress or reducing the vowel in the first syllable; 3) The final 'King' is a short, tense syllable with a velar stop followed by a nasal; 4) Keeping the three-word name fluid in fluent speech without pausing unnaturally is essential. Focus on tongue position for /ð/ and -er endings, and practice regular rhythm with three evenly spaced syllables.
What is the correct articulation of the middle name component in continuous speech—do you blend 'Luther' into 'Martin' or pause clearly? In natural speech, you typically pause briefly between 'Martin' and 'Luther' to avoid blending, but in rapid speech many speakers reduce 'Martin' to /ˈmɑːtɪn/ and move smoothly into /ˈluːðər/ before the 'King' final. The key is keeping the 'ð' sound clear in 'Luther' and maintaining 'King' as a crisp single syllable. IPA reference: US /ˈmɑːrtɪn ˈluːðər kiŋ/.
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Martin is a Germanic given name from Martinus, derived from Mars, the Roman god of war; it entered English via Old French Martin. Luther comes from the German Luther, a surname derived from the personal name Luther (from Middle High German luther, meaning ‘people’s army’ or possibly ‘famous warrior’) and was adopted into English as a surname. King, a common English surname and title, originates from Old English cyning, later king, used for rulers and as a metonymic occupational surname for a king or leader. The full name Martin Luther King is most associated with Martin Luther King Jr., the prominent American civil rights figure; the middle initials are often used to distinguish him from his namesake theologian Martin Luther. The three-word construction in English emphasizes the given name (Martin), family name (King), and the honorific/title (Dr./Jr. often added). First known public use of the name in this exact form as a public figure appears in mid-20th century American discourse, with growing references after 1955 as MLK’s leadership expanded globally.”,
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Words that rhyme with "Martin Luther King"
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