3 syllables: Pot, ter, y. Stress on Pot.
PAH-tur-ee
/ˈpɑtɚi/
Pottery is pronounced PAH-tur-ee (/ˈpɑtɚi/). It has three syllables (Pot-ter-y), with the stress on "Pot". Pottery is the craft or trade of making objects from clay, especially bowls, pots, and dishes, by shaping and firing them in a kiln. It refers both to the objects themselves and to the craft as a discipline, including wheel throwing, hand-building, glazing, and fired finishes. It can also denote the place where such wares are made or sold, as in a pottery studio or workshop.
nounPottery is the craft or trade of making objects from clay, especially bowls, pots, and dishes, by shaping and firing them in a kiln. It refers both to the objects themselves and to the craft as a discipline, including wheel throwing, hand-building, glazing, and fired finishes. It can also denote the place where such wares are made or sold, as in a pottery studio or workshop.
How to Pronounce Pottery
"The pottery studio has a rack of bisque-fired bowls drying near the window."
"She collects antique pottery from different regions and eras."
"After hours of practice, his pottery began to resemble professional pieces."
US: /ˈpɒtəri/; UK: /ˈpɒtəri/; AU: /ˈpɒtəri/. The first syllable is stressed: POT-ter-y, with short, rounded 'o' as in hot. The second syllable is a soft schwa in the middle position, and the final 'ry' is a light 'ee' sound, effectively /əri/. Mouth positions: start with rounded lips for the /ɒ/ or /ɒ/ vowel, then relax to /ə/ for the middle, ending with a light /ri/ cluster. Visualize a gentle, quick transition between /t/ and the unstressed /ə/ before the final /ri/.
Common errors: 1) Reducing the first syllable to an unstressed /pə/ or /pʊ/ instead of a clear /ˈpɒ/—keep the initial short, clipped o. 2) Slurring the /t/ into a dent in the middle sounds; keep a crisp /t/ before the schwa. 3) Ending with a strong /iː/ instead of /əri/; aim for a light schwa then /ri/. Correction tips: exaggerate the stress on the first syllable momentarily to feel the rhythm, practice a clean /t/ with a brief hold, and finish with a soft /əri/ rather than /iː/.
US and UK share the /ˈpɒtəri/ pattern, with a rhotic US accent sometimes producing a more pronounced r in connected speech; however, careful careful non-rhotic tendencies may reduce r in clauses. Australian English also uses a /ˈpɒtəri/ baseline, but can feature a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable and a lengthened or flattened vowel in fast speech. In all, the primary difference is vowel quality and rhotic articulation in rapid speech; the core syllable structure remains POT-ter-y.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed, reduced middle syllable and the final /əri/. English speakers often reduce /ˈpɒtəri/ to /ˈpoʊtəri/ or /ˈpɔːtəri/, and the /t/ can blend with the following schwa, producing a softer transition. The sequence /t/ + /ə/ + /ri/ requires precise timing; many learners insert extra vowels or compress syllables. Focus on the crisp /t/ and a quick, light /əri/ ending to maintain natural rhythm.
A key feature is the syllable-timed rhythm with a strong initial stress: POT-ter-y. The middle syllable is typical of English function words and tends to be reduced to a schwa, so you should avoid pronouncing a heavy second syllable. Keeping the final /ri/ light helps maintain clarity and natural speech, especially in rapid conversation; you’ll hear speakers glide from /t/ into /ə/ into /ri/ with a soft, quick transition.
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Pottery derives from the Middle English word poterie, which itself comes from Old French poterie, meaning ‘pot-making’ or ‘clay vessel,’ from pot ‘pot’ + -erie indicating a place or profession. The root pot originates from Latin potus, “drunk,” but in this context the pottery sense is tied to vessels made of clay rather than alcohol. The suffix -ery or -erie indicates a collective craft or shop associated with making or dealing in a particular material. The term appears in English texts by the 14th century, with early references to potters and their wares. Over the centuries, the craft evolved from simple hand-built forms to sophisticated wheel-thrown and glaze techniques, expanding into industrial production and modern studio practice. In contemporary usage, pottery often differentiates from ceramics by emphasizing the craft’s hands-on, wheel-based or hand-built processes and artisanal studio culture, even as mass-produced ceramic wares share the broader category. The word’s semantic scope has broadened to include both the craft and its products, as well as the place of making (a pottery).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Pottery" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Pottery"
-rty sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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