Predators is a plural noun referring to organisms that hunt others for food. It can also describe people or organizations that prey on others. The term emphasizes the act of pursuing and attacking prey, often highlighting predatory behaviors in ecological or metaphorical contexts.
US: rhotic speaker often keeps the /r/ in the second syllable; UK: smoother /ə/ and less articulatory r influence; AU: vowel quality tends to be slightly more open; IPA references: US /ˈprɛ.də.tɔrz/ or /ˈpre.də.təz/ depending on dialect, UK /ˈprɛ.də.təz/, AU /ˈprɛ.də.təz/ with broad vowels. Focus on maintaining the schwa in the middle and keeping the final /z/ clear. In all accents, the first syllable is stressed and crisp.
"The wolves and big cats are apex predators in their ecosystems."
"Financial predators can exploit unsuspecting investors if they’re not careful."
"The film portrays ruthless predators who stalk their victims at night."
"Researchers study predator–prey dynamics to understand population control."
Predator comes from Latin predator, from predāre ‘to plunder, ravage’, from prae ‘before’ + dāre ‘to give’ in sense of seizing. The plural predators adds the regular English suffix -s. In Classical Latin, predator described a plunderer or robber. In English, the term evolved to refer to animals that actively hunt and kill other organisms for food. By the 19th century, predator broadened to include metaphorical users: social predators, scammers, and exploitative entities. In biology, predator–prey relationships have been fundamental to ecological theory since the 18th–19th centuries, with early naturalists like Buffon and Linnaeus noting hunting interactions. The word entered common scientific usage in English over time, reinforced by literature and media depicting predators as strategic, efficient hunters. Today, predator is widely used across science, journalism, and everyday speech to describe any agent that perceives, pursues, and consumes others, often with connotations of stealth and advantage. First known use in its modern sense traces to early scientific narratives in the 18th–19th centuries, aligning with expanding study of ecosystems and animal behavior.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Predators" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Predators"
-ors sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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US: /ˈprɛ.dəˌtɔrz/ or /ˈpre.dəˌtərz/ depending on vowel in last syllable; UK: /ˈprɛ.də.təz/; AU: /ˈprɛd.ə.təz/. Stress falls on the first syllable: PRE-dah-turz. In rapid speech, you may hear a lighter middle vowel and a stronger final z. Try isolating each: pred (p red) + a + tors (tərz). Audio references: you can compare with pronunciations on Forvo or YouGlish using “Predators.”
Common errors include over-tightening the initial /ˈpr/ cluster, producing /prɛ/ as a pure /prɛ/ and misplacing stress on the second syllable in rapid speech; also flattening the middle /ə/ to a full vowel like /eɪ/ or /i:/ and mispronouncing the final -tors as /tɔːrz/ instead of /tərz/. Correction tips: keep the first syllable stressed with a light, quick /ˈprɛ/; shorten the middle to a neutral schwa /ə/; finally make the final /z/ or /ɹz/ sound clear but not bell-like. Listening practice with word pairs helps solidify the pattern.
US tends to reduce the middle vowel to a schwa and give a clear /z/ at the end; UK often has a slightly crisper /t/ transition and a non-rhotic influence in some speakers, making ending sound closer to /təz/; Australian may have a slightly broader vowel in /ˈprɛ.də.tɒz/ or /ˈpred.ə.təz/ with subtle rhotic drop. Overall, the final consonant is typically a voiced /z/ in all, but the vowel quality and the middle vowel’s duration vary. Listen to accent-specific sources to tune subtle shifts.
Three main challenges: the initial /pr/ cluster requires precise tongue blade contact and air flow; the middle unstressed schwa /ə/ is short and easily omitted or replaced by a full vowel; the final /ərz/ or /əz/ can blur into a single syllable in fast speech. Practice by isolating each part: PRE + dător + z, ensuring the schwa remains quick and the final z is voiced. IPA cues: /ˈprɛ.dəˌtɔrz/ or /ˈpre.də.təz/ depending on accent.
The word carries a predictable stress on the first syllable with a secondary emphasis on the third in some rapid accelerations, but most speakers keep primary stress on PRE-. In careful diction, the sequence is P-R-E, with a light central vowel in the middle, and a voiced sibilant at the end. The uniqueness lies in balancing the lightly reduced middle and the final voiced sibilant, which can easily shift into a /ɪt/ or /əz/ if not monitored.
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