5 syllables: mul, ti, fam, i, ly. Stress on fam.
/ˌmʌltaɪˈfæməli/
Say it backMultifamily is an adjective or noun describing a building or housing situation that contains more than one family unit. It is commonly used in real estate, architectural, and urban-planning contexts. The term emphasizes multiple separate households within a single structure or development, as opposed to single-family housing.
"The city approved funding for a multifamily housing project to address the affordable-housing shortage."
"A multifamily building can include apartments or condominiums on various floors."
"The broker highlighted the multifamily complex as a sound investment for rental income."
Pronounce as /ˌməltiˈfæməli/ (US), /ˌmʌltɪˈfæməli/ (UK). The primary stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: mul-ti-FAM-i-ly. Start with a light schwa in the first syllable, then a clear /f/ in the stressed ‘fam-’ portion. The final -ly is pronounced as /li/ with a light, quick ending. You can listen to native usage in real estate clips to confirm rhythm.
Common errors: 1) Placing primary stress on the first or last syllable instead of the second-to-last; 2) Merging /ti/ with /tɪ/ into a blurred “mi-” sound rather than a clear /ti/; 3) Pronouncing /fæm/ as /fæmə/ with an unnecessary schwa before the /li/. Correction: stress the /fæM/ syllable, articulate the /ti/ as a light separate syllable, and finalize with a crisp /li/ without extra vowel insertion.
In US English, the sequence yields strong /ˌməltiˈfæməli/ with a clear /ti/ and final /li/. UK English often has a slightly reduced first vowel and a more clipped final /li/; US rhoticity affects /r/ only where present but not in this word. Australian English mirrors UK patterns but tends toward less release in the final syllable and a slightly broader /æ/ in /fæ/. Overall, stress position remains the same, but vowel qualities shift subtly.
The difficulty comes from the three-syllable word with an internal cluster: /ˌməlti-ˈfæmə- li/. The main challenge is keeping the /ti/ as a separate, crisp syllable while maintaining the secondary stress around /ˌməl-/. Also, the middle /fæ/ must be clearly louder than /mi/ in the first syllable pair. Practice separating the syllables clearly before blending them.
A key detail is the secondary stress on the third syllable in many fast utterances: the sequence includes a subtle secondary emphasis before the final -ly. Also, the /ti/ sound should be released rather than glided, so avoid turning /ti/ into /tɪ/ with a heavy schwa. Focus on a clean /mi/ or /mə/ in the first syllable and a firm /fæ/ in the stressed syllable.
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Multifamily combines the prefix multi-, meaning many or more than one, with family. The multi- prefix comes from Latin multi- via French, and the root family comes from Latin familia, meaning household, servants, or those under one master, with figurative use expanding to kin. The term likely emerged in late 19th to mid-20th century American English in real estate and zoning discussions as urban housing evolved to include buildings with multiple separate living units. First known uses appear in planning documents and property listings where developers contrasted multifamily dwellings with single-family homes. Over time, multifamily has become standard in property listings and policy language, often with qualifiers like “garden-style,” “mid-rise,” or “high-rise” to specify unit configuration and density.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "multifamily" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "multifamily" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "multifamily"
-ity sounds
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