2 syllables: note, book. Stress on note.
NOHT-buuk
/ˈnoʊˌtbʊk/
notebook is pronounced NOHT-buuk (/ˈnoʊˌtbʊk/). It has two syllables (note-book), with the stress on "note". A small, bound or digital book used for writing notes, schedules, or ideas. Commonly carried in daily life, it serves as a personal record for information, reminders, and brainstorming. In everyday use, it can refer to a physical notebook or a notebook computer, though the latter is a separate term in contemporary tech talk.
A small, bound or digital book used for writing notes, schedules, or ideas. Commonly carried in daily life, it serves as a personal record for information, reminders, and brainstorming. In everyday use, it can refer to a physical notebook or a notebook computer, though the latter is a separate term in contemporary tech talk.
"I keep a notebook in my bag for quick ideas."
"She bought a leather notebook to journal her travel memories."
"The engineer sketched a schematic in his notebook during the meeting."
Phonetically, it is pronounced as /ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/ in US English and /ˈnəʊtˌbʊk/ in UK/AU varieties. The primary stress sits on the first syllable ‘NO’ and the second syllable starts with a clear /b/ followed by /ʊ/ and /k/. Your mouth should round slightly for the diphthong in the first syllable, then close more for the /bʊk/ cluster. An audio reference would be available on pronunciation resources; practice saying “no” with lengthened vowel then attach “tbook” with a light, almost syllable-timed transition.
Two frequent errors are misplacing stress or slurring the /t/ into /d/ in fast speech, turning it into ‘no-dbook’. Another is mispronouncing the second syllable as /ˈnɒtˌbʊk/ with a short, flat vowel in non-rhotic accents. Correction tips: emphasize the first syllable with a clear /noʊ/ diphthong, maintain a distinct /t/ before the /b/, and ensure the second syllable has a full /ʊ/ like ‘book’ without reducing it to a schwa. Practicing consonant separation helps keep the cluster crisp.
In US English, /ˈnoʊtˌbʊk/ includes a strong /oʊ/ in the first syllable and a clear /ʊ/ in the second. In many UK and Australian accents, the first vowel aligns to /əʊ/ or /əʊ/ with less diphthong variation, and rhoticity can affect vowel colouring, though /ˈnəʊtˌbʊk/ remains common in non-rhotic British speech. Australia generally aligns with UK rhotic tendencies in careful speech but often reduces the second vowel slightly (closer to /ʊ/). The final /k/ is crisp in all, but flapping is rare in careful speech. Listening to native speakers across regions helps encode these subtleties.
The difficulty lies in coordinating the consonant cluster /t/ and /b/ after a diphthong in stressed onset, plus the short, rounded /ʊ/ in the second syllable. English learners often slip into /d/ or merge /t/ with /b/, or reduce /noʊ/ to a monophthong. Practice combining the spike of the tongue on /t/ with a quick movement into /b/, while keeping /ʊ/ stable and the final /k/ released cleanly. Listening and repeating after native speakers helps stabilize the sequence.
A distinctive feature is the strong initial syllable stress together with a tightly attached onset before a bilabial stop /b/. The transition from /t/ to /b/ should be a crisp, light tap rather than a full stop, so your tongue tip momentarily touches the alveolar ridge but quickly moves to a relaxed /b/. Keeping the alveolar closure separate from the bilabial closure reduces blending errors and preserves the clarity of the second syllable.
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Notebook derives from the combination of late Old English terms 'note' (a brief record or sign) and 'book' (a written work or volume). The word 'note' itself traces to Latin nota, via Old French nota, meaning a mark or sign. The compound sense of a bound collection used for notes emerged in English in the medieval period as literacy and record-keeping expanded beyond scriptoriums. Initially, 'note-book' described a small book for jotting notes; over time, it became a standard term for personal writing surfaces, and with the rise of computers, 'notebook' has also come to refer to a portable computer. The modern sense often relies on the synonymy with ‘notepad’ and ‘journal,’ while in tech contexts, ‘notebook’ can indicate laptops or portable devices. First literary uses appear in scholars’ notebooks and merchant records of the 14th–15th centuries, though the compound likely developed earlier in common speech as writers needed a portable place to capture fleeting thoughts. By the 17th–18th centuries, printed notebooks with ruled pages became common, and by the 19th century, mass-market notebooks and stationery established the word in everyday language. The hybrid usage persists in contemporary English, where context usually clarifies whether the reference is a physical book or a computing device.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "notebook" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "notebook"
-ook sounds
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