Material (noun) refers to the substances or matter from which something is made, or the information and resources used to carry out a task. It also denotes materials or equipment in a load-bearing sense, and can describe material evidence. In everyday usage, it often contrasts with immaterial or abstract concepts, and appears in contexts from manufacturing to academic research. 2-3 syllables with primary stress on the second syllable.
US: rhotic /r/ color influences the /ri/ sequence; aim for /ˌriː/ or /ri/ with a light touch on /ɹ/. UK: reduced rhoticity, smoother /ɪə/ transitioning to /ə/ in /əriəl/. AU: tends toward non-rhotic but with clearer vowels than UK; watch for a flatter /ə/ in the first syllable and a more pronounced /ɪ/ in the second. IPA references help: US /məˈtɪriəl/, UK /məˈtɪəriəl/, AU /ˈmətɪəriəl/.
"The fabric is fine material for the dress, with a smooth texture."
"Researchers analyzed the soil, sediment, and other material samples in the lab."
"Please bring all relevant material before we start the project."
"The documentary included material from archives and expert interviews."
Material comes from Middle French material, from Latin materia ‘matter, stuff, timber, matter of dispute,’ from mater, matr- ‘mother’ (in the sense of ‘the matter from which something is made’). The word shifted in English to refer to the material from which objects are formed, then widened to include the substances used for making goods, and finally to refer to information or content used for a particular task. First attested in English in the 15th century, material transitioned from concrete physical substances to a broader sense of “things used to accomplish an end” and “substance or data that informs action.” Over time, material gained common collocations such as building material, raw material, teaching material, and decorative material, and remains essential in manufacturing, design, and research nomenclature. The evolution reflects a persistent core idea: substance or matter used to create or explain, anchored in Latin roots via French intermediate usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Material" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Material"
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Material is pronounced as /məˈtɪriəl/ in US English, with stress on the second syllable. For UK/Australian, you’ll hear /məˈtɪəriəl/ or /ˈmætɪərɪəl/ depending on rhythm. Start with a schwa on the first syllable, then a short /ɪ/ in the second, followed by /ri/ and a light /əl/ at the end. Imagine saying ma-TEER-ee-uhl quickly. Audio reference: you can compare with dictionaries that provide pronunciation audio for Material.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable (MA-teerial) instead of the second, and reducing the second syllable too much (ma-TEER-ee-uhl vs. ma-TEER-ee-əl). Another pitfall is pronouncing /ɪ/ as a full vowel in all contexts, making it sound abrupt. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable, use a quick /ɪ/ before /ri/, and end with a light schwa /əl/ or /əl/ in connected speech.
In US English, /məˈtɪriəl/ with a rhotic /r/ influence toward /ri/; in UK English you may hear /məˈtɪəriəl/ with a larger diphthong in the second syllable and less rhotic influence; Australian often aligns with non-rhotic tendencies but can preserve clearer /r/ in some speech. Vowel length and quality vary: US often shows shorter /ɪ/ and a more centralized /ə/, UK tends toward /ɪə/ sequences in rapid speech, AU may reduce to a softer /ɪə/ or /ɪəl/ depending on speaker.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic, stress-timed rhythm with secondary vowels and the vowel sequence /ɪriə/ or /ɪəriə/. The shift from a schwa to a stressed syllable can feel abrupt, and the final /əl/ or /əl/ can be reduced in rapid speech, obscuring the intended ending. Practice by segmenting into ma-TEER-ee-uhl, ensuring the second syllable carries primary stress and the final schwa remains light and quick.
Material often prompts the pronunciation nuance of the 'i' sound in the second syllable. In careful speech, you’ll render /tɪr/ as /tɪri/ with a crisp /r/ in rhotic accents; in non-rhotic varieties, /r/ is less pronounced, and the sequence may land as /ˈtɪəriəl/. The key is to maintain the /ɪ/ vowel quality and a clear /ri/ sequence before the final /əl/ or /əl/, avoiding a flat /l/ that can obscure syllable boundaries.
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