2 syllables: ob, tain. Stress on tain.
uhb-TAYN
/əˈbteɪn/
obtain is pronounced uhb-TAYN (/əˈbteɪn/). It has two syllables (ob-tain), with the stress on "tain". Obtain means to acquire or come into possession of something, often through effort or request. It is used in formal and neutral contexts to describe the act of gaining possession, permission, or information. The word emphasizes process and result rather than mere chance, and it frequently appears in academic, legal, or professional writing.
Obtain means to acquire or come into possession of something, often through effort or request. It is used in formal and neutral contexts to describe the act of gaining possession, permission, or information. The word emphasizes process and result rather than mere chance, and it frequently appears in academic, legal, or professional writing.
- Misplacing stress to produce ob-TAIN vs. oBTAIN; fix by emphasizing second syllable and reducing first to a light schwa. - Over-drawing the first syllable with a full /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ sound; correct by shortening to /ə/ and allowing the diphthong to lead into /teɪn/. - Blurring /t/ and /d/ in rapid speech, making the word sound like /əbˈdeɪn/; practice crisp /t/ closure before the /eɪ/.
"We hope to obtain the necessary permits before the project begins."
"She managed to obtain rare manuscripts through a combination of networking and persistence."
"The data was obtained from multiple sources and cross-validated."
Pronounce as ob-TAIN with primary stress on the second syllable: /əbˈteɪn/. The first syllable is a weak schwa /ə/ followed by the stressed /teɪn/ where the /t/ is a clear stop and the /eɪ/ is a rising-to-mid diphthong. Gentle mouth opening for /ə/, tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge for /t/, and a long, stable /eɪ/ vowel ending before the nasal consonant /n/. In careful speech, avoid a heavy /b/ or /t/ blend; keep the consonants distinct for clarity.
Two common mistakes: (1) pronouncing the first syllable as a full /ɒb/ like 'ob' in 'object', which shifts the rhythm and can sound British or heavy; (2) misplacing the stress as ob-TAIN is incorrect in many learners’ patterns, leading to /ˈɒbˌteɪn/ or /ˈoʊˌbeɪn/. Correct approach: reduce the first syllable to a schwa /ə/ and place strong stress on /teɪn/. Ensure a crisp /t/ articulation before the /eɪn/ nucleus and finish with a clear /n/.
In US/UK/AU, the main difference is vowel quality in the /ə/ and /eɪ/ segments and the rhoticity. US typically has rhotic /r/ coloring only if present in neighboring syllables; the /ə/ may be more centralized in careful speech. UK tends to have a shorter, crisper /ə/ and a more pronounced /eɪ/ with less vowel lifting; AU follows similar patterns to UK but with slight vowel merging in broader accents. The final /n/ remains clear, with assimilation in rapid speech. Overall, the primary cue is vowel quality and the exact duration of the diphthong /eɪ/.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the distinct /t/ before the /eɪn/. Learners often fuse /t/ with the following vowel or misplace stress, saying ob-TAIN or o-BTAIN. Keeping the second syllable as a strong, clear nucleus /teɪn/ with an articulatory break before /n/ helps. Also, the initial schwa /ə/ can be reduced too much, making the word sound like /əbˈtɛn/ or /ˈəbˌten/. Focused practice on the middle consonant-tongue position and stable diphthong is key.
A useful tip: think of the second syllable as a standalone 'tain' with a long /eɪ/; ensure your tongue strikes the alveolar ridge for /t/ and release into /eɪn/ with a clean nasal /n/. Keep the /ə/ in the first syllable light and quick, almost silent, so the emphasis lands on /ˈteɪn/. Practicing with a mirror to monitor mouth shape helps, as does recording and listening back to confirm the crisp /t/ release.
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Obtain traces its roots to the Latin obtinēre, a compound of ob- ‘toward, against’ and tenēre ‘to hold’. The form passed into Old French as obtenir, retaining the sense of holding toward or gaining something from another. In Middle English, obtain appeared as obtenir in legal and formal prose, aligning with the notion of obtaining rights, goods, or permissions. Over time, the semantic field broadened in English to include the act of gaining possession or achieving a result through effort, exertion, or request. The pronunciation evolved to the modern split between the initial /əb-/ or /əbˈteɪn/ patterns and regional vowel realizations, with the stress consistently placed on the second syllable: /əbˈteɪn/ in most dialects. First known uses are documented in early legal and administrative texts in the 15th century, reflecting its utility in formal discourse about rights, titles, or access. The term became common in general prose in the 17th and 18th centuries as commerce, science, and governance emphasized methodical attainment. In contemporary English, obtain remains a formal verb, frequently selected over synonymous “get” in precise, objective, or procedural writing, while still appearing in everyday professional speech and academic writing.
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Words that rhyme with "obtain"
-ain sounds
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