3 syllables: No, ta, ry. Stress on No.
NOH-tur-ee
/ˈnoʊtɚi/
Notary is pronounced NOH-tur-ee (/ˈnoʊtɚi/). It has three syllables (No-ta-ry), with the stress on "No". Notary is a person authorized to witness and certify the signing of documents, or to administer oaths. It denotes a public official who attests the authenticity of signatures and the execution of instruments. The term also refers to a notary public’s office or duties in many jurisdictions.
nounNotary is a person authorized to witness and certify the signing of documents, or to administer oaths. It denotes a public official who attests the authenticity of signatures and the execution of instruments. The term also refers to a notary public’s office or duties in many jurisdictions.
"I need to find a notary to verify my signature on the contract."
"The notary processed the documents and stamped them with the official seal."
"She became a notary after completing the required training and passing the exam."
Notary is pronounced /ˈnoʊtəri/ in US English, with stress on the first syllable: NOH-tuh-ree. In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /oʊ/ vowel in the first syllable and a light, unstressed second syllable /.ə-ri/. In UK and AU, you’ll still have the initial /ˈnəʊ/ or /ˈnɒːtəɹi/ flavor, but the final vowel often reduces to a schwa or a light /i/. Practice saying NOH-tuh-ree, then blend the r less prominently in non-rhotic accents.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the second syllable (no-TA-ry) instead of first (NO-tuh-ree). 2) Slurring the second syllable so it sounds like /-tɛri/ or /-təri/ unconsciously. 3) Over-pronouncing the final ‘-ry’ as /-ri/ in non-rhotic accents. Correction tips: emphasize the first syllable with a clear /oʊ/; keep the second syllable light and reduced: /tə-ɹi/ or /təri/ depending on accent; and maintain a soft, quick final consonant so it doesn’t become /-riː/.
US: /ˈnoʊtəri/ with rhotic /r/; clear /oʊ/ and a voiced /ɹ/ at the end. UK: often non-rhotic or weak /r/; /ˈnəʊtəri/ or /ˈnəʊt(ə)ri/ with a more centralized second syllable and a lighter final /ri/. AU: closer to US but with more vowel flattening; /ˈnɒːtəɹi/ or /ˈnɒːtəɾi/, with the final /ɹ/ less pronounced or tapped. In all, the first syllable carries primary stress, but rhoticity and vowel quality shift subtly by region.
The difficulty lies in the vowel sequence /noʊ/ requiring precise phrasing in rapid speech and the subtle /t/ blending with the following /ə/; many speakers reduce /tə/ to /tə/ or /tɚ/. Additionally, regional rhoticity changes how the final /ri/ is pronounced, especially for non-rhotic speakers who may obscure the final syllable. Distinguishing the stressed /noʊ/ from the unstressed /tə/ and maintaining clean aspirated /t/ without flapping can be tricky.
A unique feature is the two-reduced-syllable final: /tə-ɹi/ in many accents, where the second syllable reduces to a light schwa or a short /ri/ with limited duration. Keeping the /t/ crisp before the reduced syllable helps clarity, while the first syllable must remain distinctly long /noʊ/. The stress pattern NO-tuh-ree is a consistent cue to listeners across dialects.
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Notary derives from Old French notaire, from Latin notarius, meaning secretary or scribe. The Latin term originally referred to someone who kept records or wrote and authenticated documents. In medieval Europe, notaries public emerged as official record-keepers empowered by authorities to draft, authenticate, and preserve legal instruments. The English adoption in the 14th–15th centuries solidified the role in civil affairs, aligning with the broader spread of legal administration. The word’s core sense—someone who attests to the truth of a document and the signing process—remained constant, while the scope expanded from scribal secretary to formal public function. By the 18th and 19th centuries, notaries public became standardized in many common law jurisdictions, with licensing, oaths, and seals forming the backbone of notarial practice. Today, the term persists across legal cultures with jurisdiction-specific variations in authority, duties, and required credentials, but the essential image—an official who attests signatures and documents—remains central. First known use in English appears in the late 14th century, closely tied to the Latin-rooted term for scribes and secretaries who validated records.
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Words that rhyme with "Notary"
-ory sounds
-rry sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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