pohst-POHN
/poʊsˈtpoʊn/
postpone is pronounced pohst-POHN (/poʊsˈtpoʊn/). Postpone is a verb meaning to delay or defer an event or action to a later time. It often implies rescheduling due to planning needs or unforeseen circumstances. The term emphasizes the act of placing a planned activity on hold rather than canceling it entirely, typically with a new time set.
Postpone is a verb meaning to delay or defer an event or action to a later time. It often implies rescheduling due to planning needs or unforeseen circumstances. The term emphasizes the act of placing a planned activity on hold rather than canceling it entirely, typically with a new time set.
- Misplacing stress: learners often place the primary stress on the first syllable or distribute it evenly across both. Correct by enforcing a strong secondary follow-up stress on the second syllable, especially in connected speech. - Slurring the /st/ cluster: /st/ should be crisp; avoid a lilt that makes it sound like /s/ + /t/ or a blend into /poʊn/. Practice with a deliberate /st/ release before the vowel of the second syllable. - Reducing vowels: the first and second nucleus vowels can reduce to a weak schwa in fast speech; instead keep both /oʊ/ targets distinct and extended. - Final consonant clarity: ensure the final /n/ is audible; don’t nasalize or drop the nasal entirely. Tips: practice with 3–4 slow repetitions, then add speed gradually; record yourself to hear if you’ve maintained two-syllable rhythm and crisp /st/ release.
"We had to postpone the meeting until next week."
"The project was postponed because the client requested more information."
"Heavy rain postponed the outdoor ceremony."
Pronounce as /poʊstˈpoʊn/ (US) or /pəʊstˈpəʊn/ (UK/AU). It’s a two-syllable verb with primary stress on the second syllable: poʊst-POHN. Begin with a clear /poʊ/ diphthong, then a crisp /st/ cluster, followed by /ˈpoʊn/ with a long o in the second syllable. Ensure the /t/ is released (not glottalized) and the second vowel is not reduced in careful speech. Audio references: you can compare with Cambridge/Oxford pronunciations, Forvo samples, and Pronounce resources for practice.
Common errors include reducing the first syllable to a schwa (/pəstˈpoʊn/), turning the second syllable into a secondary stress (/poʊstˈpoʊn/ without strong stress), or pronouncing it as /ˈpoʊstˈpoʊn/ with equal stress. Another issue is slurring the /st/ sequence so it sounds like /sˈpoʊn/ or dropping the final /n/. To correct: keep /poʊst/ on the first two sounds crisp, make the second syllable’s nucleus a full /oʊ/ with primary stress on the second syllable, and enqueue a clear final /n/ with slight air release.
In US English, you’ll hear /poʊstˈpoʊn/ with fairly prominent first syllable and a stressed second syllable; the second /oʊ/ is clear. UK and AU accents maintain the two-stress pattern, but vowels may be a touch shorter and less diphthongal, giving /pəʊstˈpəʊn/ or /pəʊstˈpəʊn/ in careful speech. Rhoticity is generally not the key factor here, but US may retain more r-like coloring in connected speech around the phrase; the essential rhythm remains two syllables with secondary-to-primary emphasis on the second.
The challenge lies in two successive high-vowel schwa-like transitions and a clear /st/ cluster bridging the first and second syllables. The second syllable bears primary stress and carries a long /oʊ/ quality, which can feel heavy in rapid speech. Learners often misplace the /t/ release or misplace stress, causing the word to sound like ‘po-stpone’ or 'post-ponn't.' Focus on crisp /st/ release, stable /poʊ/ nuclei in both syllables, and accurate stress: poʊst-ˈpoʊn.
A useful tip is to think of it as a two-beat word: first beat /poʊst/ with a clear /t/ release, then second beat /ˈpoʊn/ with a long, steady vowel. Visualize your mouth making a tight /st/ for the bridge, then drop into an open/lips rounded /oʊ/ for the second syllable. Practice by saying ‘po-stpone’ slowly, then add the syllable boundary explicitly: poʊst | ˈpoʊn. This helps prevent glottalization and keeps the stress on the second syllable.
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- US: maintain a full /poʊst/ first syllable with a bright /oʊ/ in the second; stress falls on the second syllable /ˈpoʊn/. Vowel length often more pronounced in careful speech. - UK: /pəʊstˈpəʊn/ tends to be slightly more centralized in the nucleus of both syllables; keep the /əʊ/ diphthongs crisp, avoid reducing the second vowel too much in fast pace. - AU: similar to UK but may include a more rounded, fuller second vowel; keep rhoticity minimal in connected speech; watch for non-rhotic tendencies. All variants share the same two-syllable structure with primary stress on the second syllable; IPA references: US /poʊstˈpoʊn/, UK /pəʊstˈpəʊn/, AU /pəstˈpəʊn/.
Postpone derives from the prefix post- meaning 'after' combined with the verb pone from Latin ponere, meaning 'to place' or 'to put.' The form shows the sense of placing something after a later time. The earliest English usage appears in the late Middle Ages as postpone, with precursors in postponen (to place after) and postponement phrased in Latin-influenced legal and administrative texts. The notion of putting something off to a future moment has been stable across centuries, carrying nuances of rescheduling rather than abandoning an obligation. The word evolved into common usage in everyday speech by the 16th–17th centuries, increasingly used in business, governance, and personal planning. The spelling consolidations reflect regular English derivational patterns: post- (after) + pone (to place) → postpone. Over time, the word broadened from formal or ceremonial contexts to everyday conversation, yet retains a somewhat formal tone compared to synonyms like delay or put off, particularly in written and professional registers.
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Words that rhyme with "postpone"
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