7 syllables: mul, ti, dis, ci, pli, na, ry. Stress on na.
muhl-tee-dis-eye-puhn-DRIS-lee-ner-ee
/ˌmʌltiˌdɪˌsaɪpənˈdrɪsliˌnɛri/
multidisciplinary is pronounced muhl-tee-dis-eye-puhn-DRIS-lee-ner-ee (/ˌmʌltiˌdɪˌsaɪpənˈdrɪsliˌnɛri/). It has seven syllables (mul-ti-dis-ci-pli-na-ry), with the stress on "na". Multidisciplinary describes an approach or activity involving multiple academic disciplines or fields of study working together to address a common problem. It integrates methods, theories, and perspectives from several specialties to create comprehensive analyses or solutions. The term emphasizes collaboration across traditional boundaries to achieve broader, more holistic outcomes.
Multidisciplinary describes an approach or activity involving multiple academic disciplines or fields of study working together to address a common problem. It integrates methods, theories, and perspectives from several specialties to create comprehensive analyses or solutions. The term emphasizes collaboration across traditional boundaries to achieve broader, more holistic outcomes.
- You may misplace stress, saying multi-DI-sci-plin-ary; correct by marking the primary stress on the 'sa' syllable: /ˌməl.ti.dɪˈsa.pləˌnei/ depending on variant. - Vowel reductions in unstressed syllables can blur the word’s rhythm; ensure the 'ti' and 'bi' syllables stay crisp. - Slurring the -ary suffix; keep -ary as a light, quick ending rather than a heavy suffix. - Neglect of final vowels in US vs UK borders; finish with a clear 'ri' or 'ry'. Fix by practicing with spaced repetition and recording. - Transitions between d and s clusters can produce a d-s blend; maintain air between consonants for clarity.
"The university launched a multidisciplinary program combining engineering, biology, and data science."
"Her research is multidisciplinary, drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and computer science."
"The conference showcased multidisciplinary teams tackling climate change."
Pronounce as /ˌməl.ti.dɪˈsa.plə.nɛr.i/ (US) or /ˌmʌl.ti.dɪs.əˈplɪn.ə.ri/ (UK). Primary stress falls on the third-to-last syllable: di-SAP-la-NE-ry in US, with a secondary stress on the second syllable. Start with a light, quick /ˈməl/ or /ˈmʌl/ depending on accent, then /ti/ or /tɪ/, followed by /dɪˈsa/ or /dɪˈsə/ depending on rhythm, and end with /pləˈnɛr.i/ or /ˈplɪn.ə.ri/. Ensure the velar nasal in -dis- is followed by a soft, unstressed schwa in many varieties. Audio reference would be available in Pronounce and major dictionaries.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing primary stress, often stressing the wrong syllable; 2) Running the sequence together so /dɪˈsa/ becomes unclear; 3) Vowel reductions in unstressed segments (skipping a schwa). Correction: practice the syllables with deliberate emphasis on di- SAP- la- ner- y, keeping the -la- still and precise while the final -ry stays light but audible. Use slower speech then speed up maintaining equal rhythm.
US typically uses /ˌməl.ti.dɪˈsa.pləˌner.i/ with a rhotic /r/ and clearer /ˈdɪ/; UK often features non-rhoticity with smoother /ˈplɪn.ə.ri/ or /ˈplɛn.ər.i/ depending on speaker; Australia blends American-like rhoticity with a flatter vowel quality and shorter /ɪ/ in unstressed positions. Pay attention to US /ˈr/ in -neri and UK/AU tendency to reduce vowels in unstressed syllables; UK may show less pronounced /ɜr/ in -neri, while AU sits between. Always refer to IPA transcriptions in dicts for precise guidance.
It’s a multisyllabic word with three strong syllables in a row and a cluster of consonants: /dɪˈsa.plə/ plus the final /nɛri/ or /nɪəri/. The challenge is keeping the tempo steady while delivering the secondary stress on the penultimate segment and avoiding vowel reduction that muddies the central “di-sa-” sequence. Practicing with syllable-tatched rhythm helps, plus precise articulation of the /d/ and /s/ sequences and the light final vowels.
Its length, multi-syllabic structure, and mixed consonant-vowel sequences demand controlled timing: two weak vowels in the middle and a fairly stiff “pl” sequence in -plin-. The word tests syllable-timing and stress placement across four prominent syllables, with a non-intuitive sequence for non-native speakers: /məl.ti.dɪˈsa.pləˌnɛr.i/. Focus on each syllable, then smooth the transitions.
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- US: rhotic; ensure the final -ry sounds like /ri/ with a clear /r/ sound; keep /dɪ/ distinct. - UK: non-rhotic; soften the /r/ and lengthen the preceding vowels slightly; maintain the /pl/ cluster as a single syllable transition. - AU: blend between rhotic and non-rhotic tendencies; the -ri ends with a light vowel; keep the /l/ clear between /dɪˈsa/ and /plə/. IPA references: US /ˌməl.ti.dɪˈsa.pləˌner.i/, UK /ˌmʌl.ti.dɪ.səˈplɪn.ə.ri/, AU /ˌməl.ti.dɪ.səˈplɛɪn.ə.ri/.
Multidisciplinary is formed from the prefix multi- (many) + disciplinary (relating to a branch of knowledge or a field of study) + -ary enabling the adjective form. The root disciplinary derives from Latin disciplina (teaching, instruction, training) from discere (to learn). The prefix multi- dates to Latin multus (many) and has cognates across Romance languages. The term discipline, in academic sense, evolved in Medieval Europe to denote organized fields of study and areas of knowledge, with “discipline” as both a branch of knowledge and a system of rules or training. The compound multidisciplinary emerged in English during the 20th century with the rise of complex problems requiring collaboration across fields; it began appearing in scholarly and policy discourse around research funding and education reform, gaining traction in the 1960s–1990s as universities expanded interdisciplinary programs. First known attestations appear in academic literature and conference discourse referencing collaborative research across multiple domains. By the 2000s, multidisciplinary had become a standard descriptor for programs, teams, and curricula designed to integrate methods from diverse areas to address multifaceted issues like sustainability, health, and technology design.
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