2 syllables: Poor, er. Stress on Poor.
POO-rur
/ˈpuɹɚ/
Poorer is pronounced POO-rur (/ˈpuɹɚ/). It has two syllables (Poor-er), with the stress on "Poor". Poorer is the comparative form of 'poor,' meaning in a worse financial or material condition relative to another. It can also describe lesser quality or severity. The pronunciation emphasizes a clear /pʊər/ or /ˈpɔːr/ with a final schwa-like reduction in rapid speech, depending on the accent, and functions as an attributive adjective or predicate adjective in contexts like income, conditions, or performance.
adjectivePoorer is the comparative form of 'poor,' meaning in a worse financial or material condition relative to another. It can also describe lesser quality or severity. The pronunciation emphasizes a clear /pʊər/ or /ˈpɔːr/ with a final schwa-like reduction in rapid speech, depending on the accent, and functions as an attributive adjective or predicate adjective in contexts like income, conditions, or performance.
"The town has become poorer since the factory closed."
"She felt poorer after paying the medical bills."
"The poorer students received extra tutoring this semester."
Pronounce as two syllables in careful speech: /ˈpɔːr/ + /ər/ in many US/UK variants, yielding /ˈpɔːrə(r)/ or /ˈpɔːɚ/. The first syllable carries primary stress. Visualize lips rounded, jaw slightly dropped; the /ɔː/ vowel is open-mid back, then an r-colored dash /ɹ/ or a reduced /ə/ depending on dialect. In faster speech you may hear /ˈpoʊ(ɚ)/ with a subdued second vowel. Listen for a strong initial vowel and a lighter ending in non-rhotic accents. Audio reference: listen to native speakers saying “poorer” in everyday contexts to gauge the final schwa or r-color.”,
Common mistakes include merging the two syllables too quickly so it sounds like ‘poor’ or misplacing primary stress on the second syllable. Another error is pronouncing the second syllable as a full /ər/ with a hard 'r' in non-rhotic accents, making it sound like /ˈpɔːrər/ instead of a reduced /ə/. To correct: keep primary stress on the first syllable, ensure the /ɔː/ is accurate, and reduce the second vowel to a schwa or a soft /ɚ/ depending on accent. Practice with deliberate slow speech, then blend to natural speed while maintaining the two-syllable rhythm.
In US English, /ˈpɔːɚ/ with rhotic /r/ at the end and a clear /ɔː/ vowel; some speakers may reduce to /ˈpoʊɚ/ in rapid speech. UK speakers often have a non-rhotic ending in some variants; the /r/ is weaker or omitted in non-rhotic accents, giving /ˈpɔːə/ with a subtle vowel coloring. Australian English generally shows a broader /ɔː/ quality with a more centralized final vowel and variable rhoticity; many speakers produce a reduced, sounded /ə/ at the end. Listen for vowel length and rhotic presence to identify each accent.
Because it involves a diphthongal quality in the first syllable with /ɔː/ that can shift toward /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ depending on dialect, followed by a rhotic or near-rhotic coda and a reduced final vowel. The contrast in lip rounding and tongue position from /ɔː/ to /ər/ or /ə/ is tricky, especially in faster speech. Tackle by isolating the two syllables: achieve a clear rounded back vowel, then insert a relaxed, lightly colored schwa or rhotic ending as appropriate to your target accent.
A unique aspect of ‘poorer’ is that the main stress remains on the first syllable, with a secondary echo of vowel height in the second syllable that often reduces to a schwa-like sound. Some speakers may lift or dip the second vowel slightly due to linking with following words in a sentence. Paying attention to the two-syllable rhythm and ensuring the first syllable remains prominent helps avoid sounding like ‘poor’ or ‘powder’ in some dialects.
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US: Strong /r/ final in rhotic dialects; keep the /ɔː/ rounded and long, then a clear but reduced /ɚ/ or /ər/ as you move into the next word. UK: Often non-rhotic; the /r/ is non-dominant; vowel quality is slightly shorter; final vowel is a light schwa /ə/. AU: Broad vowels; /ɔː/ is more open, with a relaxed final vowel; rhoticity varies; practice both with and without linking words to hear how the phrase changes. IPA references: US /ˈpɔɚəɹ/ or /ˈpɔɹɚ/, UK /ˈpɔːə/ or /ˈpɔːrə/, AU /ˈpɔːə/ or /ˈpɔːɹə/.
Poorer comes from the adjective poor, with the comparative suffix -er added to indicate a higher degree of poverty or lesser quality. The word is rooted in Old English as a derivative of the Proto-Germanic *puraz, related to ‘poor’ in various Germanic languages, tied to weakness, lack, or need. Over centuries, the meaning expanded from basic lack of wealth to broader notions of inferiority or lesser condition, including quality of workmanship or performance. The comparative form emerged in Middle English, aligning with other adjectives to express a comparative degree. First known usage in early modern English texts aligns with social and economic descriptions, as societies characterized wealth disparities and material conditions. Etymologically, the word reflects a semantic shift from concrete financial poverty to more abstract notions of being worse or inferior in various domains, retaining its core sense of diminished resources or status. In contemporary usage, ‘poorer’ is common in both literal financial contexts and metaphorical assessments of quality, ability, or outcomes, maintaining robust compatibility with attributive and predicative positions in sentences.
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Words that rhyme with "Poorer"
-mer sounds
-ner sounds
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