2 syllables: Oy, ster. Stress on Oy.
OY-stur
/ˈɔɪstɚ/
Oyster is pronounced OY-stur (/ˈɔɪstɚ/). It has two syllables (Oy-ster), with the stress on "Oy". Oyster is a bivalve mollusk whose shell contains a valued meat. It’s commonly eaten raw or cooked, and the term also names this edible creature itself. In everyday use, it appears in culinary contexts and in phrases like “pearl oyster” or “oyster fork.” The word is stressed on the first syllable and ends with a rhotic, sonorant sound in many dialects.
nounOyster is a bivalve mollusk whose shell contains a valued meat. It’s commonly eaten raw or cooked, and the term also names this edible creature itself. In everyday use, it appears in culinary contexts and in phrases like “pearl oyster” or “oyster fork.” The word is stressed on the first syllable and ends with a rhotic, sonorant sound in many dialects.
"I opened an oyster and rinsed the mud from its shell before shucking."
"The chef paired the oyster with a sharp lemon and a splash of hot sauce."
"We bought a dozen oysters for the seafood platter at the party."
Common US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on the diphthong /ɔɪ/ followed by a rhotic ending. In US and AU accents you’ll hear /ˈɔɪ.stɚ/ with a pronounced rhotic /ɹ/ in connected speech, while UK English often realizes the final /ɚ/ as a schwa-like /ə/ or weaker rhotic sound depending on the speaker. Stress remains on the first syllable. Listen for the glide from /ɔɪ/ into /stər/; avoid inserting a separate /ə/ after the /ɔɪ/ beyond a natural syllable boundary. Audio reference: [standard pronunciation].
Common errors include mispronouncing the /ɔɪ/ as a pure /o/ or /aɪ/ sequence, producing /ˈoɪ.stɚ/ or /ˈɔɪ.stɑː/; dropping the /ɚ/ ending or turning it into a full /ər/ in non-rhoticspeech; and inserting an extra syllable between /ɔɪ/ and /st/. To correct, keep the /ɔɪ/ diphthong as a single glide, then move to /stər/ without a hiatus. Finish with a light rhotic or schwa depending on your dialect. Practice with minimal pairs like “boy-stir” to tune the onset.”
In US and AU accents, you’ll typically hear /ˈɔɪ.stɚ/ with a clearer rhotic /ɹ/ and two-syllable rhythm. UK English often features a shorter, flatter /ə/ or /əː/ in place of /ɚ/ and a less pronounced rhotic in some southern varieties. The first syllable /ɔɪ/ remains a diphthong in all; the difference lies mainly in the second syllable: rhotic /ɚ/ in rhotic accents vs a non-rhotic schwa /ə/ in many UK accents. Vowel quality and timing may vary slightly with connected speech.
The challenge centers on the /ɔɪ/ diphthong and the final rhotics. The glide from /ɔɪ/ must be smooth and not break into /o/ or /aɪ/, and the ending /ɚ/ (or /ə/) must be light and subtle, not a full /ər/ sound in non-rhotic contexts. Liquids and r-colored vowels can pull the tongue, lips, and jaw in different directions; mastering the transition from the diphthong to /st/ cluster requires precise tongue positioning and breath control. Paying attention to mouth openness and backness helps stabilize the first sound.
A distinctive feature is the onset /ɔɪ/ diphthong before a consonant cluster /st/ and ending with a rhotic or schwa. The /ɔɪ/ sound requires a rounded, slightly open-mid starting point moving toward a higher vowel, and the /st/ cluster demands clear dental-alveolar positioning without adding a vowel in between. This combination creates a concise, two-syllable word where the second syllable’s vowel quality varies by accent.
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The word oyster traces to Middle English oistre, from Old French ostre, and ultimately from Latin ostreum, from Greek ostreon. The ultimate root is from a Proto-Indo-European base *ost- meaning bone or shell, reflecting the hard, calcareous shell that encases the animal. The term in English appears as early as the 14th century, with “oyster” used to denote both the animal and its shell. In classical times, oysters were valued as food and were heavily collected by coastal communities; in Middle English, the word moved from general shellfish references toward the more precise mollusk we know today. Over centuries, spelling stabilized to oyster in modern English, while pronunciation settled around a stressed first syllable with a rhotic ending in many dialects. The word’s semantic field expanded to include culinary contexts (oyster sauce, oyster fork) and cultural phrases (oyster bed, oyster card in British English), but core meaning remains the animal and its edible component. The evolution reflects consistent European trade and culinary adoption of shellfish as a delicacy, with the term remaining highly specialized in gastronomy since the 18th century. First known use in literary records appears in medieval culinary manuscripts, where oysters were described in recipes and inventory lists.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Oyster" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Oyster"
-ter sounds
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