3 syllables: Ob, ject, ives. Stress on ject.
uhb-JEK-tivz
/əˈbdʒɛktɪvz/
Objectives is pronounced uhb-JEK-tivz (/əˈbdʒɛktɪvz/). It has three syllables (Ob-ject-ives), with the stress on "ject". Objectives refers to the specific goals or aims that guide action, planning, or research. As a noun, it often functions as the measurable targets within a project, program, or study, clarifying what success looks like. It can also indicate a set of aims for a lesson, meeting, or organizational strategy, typically stated in the plural form.
nounObjectives refers to the specific goals or aims that guide action, planning, or research. As a noun, it often functions as the measurable targets within a project, program, or study, clarifying what success looks like. It can also indicate a set of aims for a lesson, meeting, or organizational strategy, typically stated in the plural form.
"We defined the objectives at the outset of the project to keep everyone aligned."
"Her objectives include increasing efficiency and reducing costs over the next quarter."
"The workshop focused on clear learning objectives for participants."
Pronounce as ob-JEC-tives. The primary stress is on the second syllable. Break it into three phonemes: /əb/ (unstressed initial), /ˈdʒek/ (the stressed syllable with the /dʒ/ affricate, /e/ as a mid-front vowel), and /tɪvz/ for the final syllable. The final -ives sounds like /-ɪvz/. In IPA: US/UK/AU: /əbˈdʒek.tɪvz/. Place your tongue near the palate for /dʒ/, keep the lips neutral, and finish with a crisp /v/ plus /z/ or /vz/ cluster. Listening to a native speaker can help with the subtle syllable timing.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplaced on the first syllable (ob-JECT-ives) or spreading it too evenly; restore the primary stress to the second syllable. 2) Dropping the /t/ in -tives, resulting in /-ɪvz/ becoming /-ɪvz/ with an unclear onset; keep a clear /t/ before the final /ɪvz/. 3) Mispronouncing /dʒ/ as /z/ or /tʃ/ (leading to ob-zek-tives). Practice with minimal pairs like /əbˈdʒek.tɪvz/ vs /əbˈzektɪvz/ and ensure your mouth forms the /dʒ/ with a brief j-like release.
In US, UK, and AU, the core pronunciation /əbˈdʒek.tɪvz/ is similar, with slight rhotic variation. US tends to be rhotic, so r-colored vowel in the first unstressed syllable is neutral, while UK and AU are non-rhotic; the /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. Vowel qualities may shift: US /ɛ/ in /ˈdʒek/ can be slightly higher, UK/AU may be marginally closer to /e/; the final /ɪvz/ remains stable across accents. Stress remains on the second syllable in all three. Overall, the main differences are rhoticity and subtle vowel width.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable structure with a stressed central syllable and the cluster /dʒ/ + /ek/ followed by the tricky -tives ending. The /dʒ/ onset requires a brief fricative release, and the /t/ before /ɪ/ can be lightly aspirated if spoken quickly. The -ves ending /vz/ requires voice pairing that doesn’t bite into a longer vowel. Practicing the exact /ˈdʒek/ midpoint helps, along with isolating the second syllable and linking it tightly to the final /tɪvz/.
Is there a subtle vowel shift in the second syllable when spoken at slower speeds? Yes. In careful speech, you’ll emphasize the /ɪ/ in the final syllable and keep the /e/ in /ˈdʒek/ mid-front; however, when rushing, the mid vowel may reduce toward a schwa on the second syllable, slightly softening the /ˈdʒek/ intensity. Maintaining the /e/ quality on /ˈdʒek/ helps preserve the graduate-level clarity of 'objectives'.
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Objectives comes from the Middle French objectif, which itself derives from the Latin obiectivus, meaning 'placed before' or 'facing.' The root ob-, from Latin on, and iicere, to throw, conveys the sense of something projected in front—an aim or target. The modern English form emerged in the 16th–17th centuries as the term entered military and strategic vocabularies to denote the target or aim of a mission. By the 19th century, ‘objective’ began to be used in scientific and educational contexts to describe observable or measurable endpoints, and the plural form ‘objectives’ became standard in planning documents, curricula, and project management. The semantic shift from a concrete target to an abstract goal retained the core sense of something that is in front, visible, and to be achieved, with ‘objectives’ commonly pairing with ‘goals,’ ‘objectives for growth,’ or ‘learning objectives’ in contemporary usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Objectives"
-ves sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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