Pedicure (noun) refers to a cosmetic treatment of the feet and toenails, including grooming, shaping, and polishing. It also denotes the service provided, often in salons, to improve foot appearance and health. The term combines care procedures for nails, skin, and cuticles, typically performed by a professional or at-home kit. The focus is on cleanliness and aesthetic maintenance for the feet.
"I scheduled a pedicure for my upcoming beach vacation."
"The salon offers a luxury pedicure that includes a paraffin treatment."
"She joked that a perfect pedicure makes her feet look confident in sandals."
"After the pedicure, my nails looked neat and the skin felt smooth."
Pedicure comes from the Latin roots pede-, meaning foot, and cura, meaning care or concern. The combination denotes care of the foot. The first element pede- traces to the Latin pes, pedis, meaning foot, used across Romance languages with similar forms. Cura has a broad history in Latin meaning care or medical treatment, evolving into various English terms related to care and maintenance. In English, the compound pedicure appeared in the 19th or early 20th century with the rise of modern beauty and spa services; it fused the foot-oriented prefix pede- with care, aligning with other cosmetic terms like manicure. The word gained popularity as salons expanded foot grooming into structured treatments, incorporating nail shaping, callus removal, cuticle care, and polish. Today, pedicure denotes both the treatment and the service, widely recognized in professional settings and consumer media as a standard cosmetic foot care offering.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Pedicure" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Pedicure" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Pedicure"
-ter sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as: pə-DI-kyoor (US) or pə-DI-kyoo-ah (UK). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: /pəˈdiˌkjʊər/ (US) or /pəˈdiːkjuə/ (UK). Break it into syllables: pe-di-cu-re, with the 'di' as a short, stressed vowel and 'cu' forming a /kj/ cluster followed by a schwa-like ending. Listen to a model: use audio resources to compare close variants and practice the /ˈdiˌkjʊər/ contour.
Common errors include vowel elongation in the first syllable and misplacing the /ˈkj/ consonant cluster, often pronounced as /kjuː/ or /kjʊə/ without the correct following vowel. Correct by emphasizing the /ˈdi/ portion as a quick, light syllable, then produce /kjʊər/ with lips rounded and the tongue approaching the hard palate for /k/. Practicing with minimal pairs like pedo- not helpful; instead, pair with 'decider' to position the /ˈdi/ stress clearly.
In US English, the ending tends toward /-kjʊər/ with rhoticity affecting the internal vowel quality, often sounding /pəˈdiˌkjʊər/. UK speakers may have a slightly longer /ə/ in the first syllable and a subtly crisper /kjʊə/ without a heavy rhotic r; AU follows US-like patterns but with a broader vowel in the first schwa and a non-rhotic tendency in some speakers. Across all, the key is the /ˈdiˌkjʊər/ sequence and the final semivowel rhythm.
The difficulty centers on the /ˈdiˌkjʊər/ sequence, specifically the consonant cluster /dɪ/ followed by /kj/ and the rounded, high back vowel in /kjʊər/. Non-native speakers often insert an extra vowel between /d/ and /kj/ or misplace lip rounding. The tri-syllabic rhythm also challenges accurate stress placement and reduced vowel timing. Practice focusing on the transition from /di/ to /kj/ and the final /ər/ or /ə/ depending on accent.
In searches, people often query 'how to say pedicure' or 'pedicure pronunciation' and expect a precise guide. The unique aspect is the /ˈdiˌkjʊər/ sequence after the initial schwa, so you can optimize SEO by including IPA, US/UK/AU variants, and audio tips. Also address common mispronunciations, such as misplacing the stress or flattening the /kj/ cluster, so your content ranks for these variations.
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