4 syllables: Pre, var, i, cate. Stress on var.
pruh-VER-uh-kayt
/pɹəˈvɛɹəkeɪt/
Prevaricate is pronounced pruh-VER-uh-kayt (/pɹəˈvɛɹəkeɪt/). It has four syllables (Pre-var-i-cate), with the stress on "var". Prevaricate is a verb meaning to speak or act in an evasive way, often with the intent to mislead or avoid the truth. It implies hesitation, hedging, or partial truth-telling rather than direct honesty. Usage often appears in formal or analytical contexts discussing truth-tinding or ethical behavior.
verbPrevaricate is a verb meaning to speak or act in an evasive way, often with the intent to mislead or avoid the truth. It implies hesitation, hedging, or partial truth-telling rather than direct honesty. Usage often appears in formal or analytical contexts discussing truth-tinding or ethical behavior.
"The witness chose to prevaricate, answering with vague phrases that avoided the core question."
"Journalists accused the official of prevaricating to dodge accountability."
"Whenever pressed, he prevaricated with his response, shifting focus to unrelated details."
Pronounce as pri-VA-ri-kate, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /prɪˈværɪkeɪt/, UK /priˈværɪkeɪt/. Start with a short “pri” (as in primitive), then stress the second syllable “VA” and finish with “ri-kate.” The final vowel is a long A as in evaluate. You’ll feel the V and R blend smoothly, and the final “cate” sounds like “kate.” Audio resources: consult Forvo or Pronounce for native realizations to capture subtle vowel length.
Two frequent errors: 1) Stress misplacement, saying pre-va- ri-cate with the emphasis on the first or third syllable, which flattens the word’s meaning. 2) Vowel quality in the second syllable: avoid a lax, quick “va”—make it a clear “VAR” with a darker vowel. Correction: practice with a slow rhythm, tapping /prɪ/ then emphasis /ˈværɪ/ before /keɪt/. Use minimal pairs to train the /æ/ vs /ə/ distinction if your accent blends them.
US: /prɪˈværɪkeɪt/ with clearer /æ/ in the VAR syllable and a more pronounced rhoticity on the r. UK: /prɪˈvɑːrɪkeɪt/ or /prɪˈværɪkeɪt/ depending on speaker; vowel in VAR tends to a broader /ɑː/ or /æ/ with less r-bleed. AU: /ˈprɛvəˌrəkeɪt/ or /prɪˈværɪkeɪt/, with slightly clipped vowels and a non-rhotic tendency in careful speech; some speakers insert a reduced /ə/ in the first syllable. The main contrasts: vowel height and rhoticity; stress remains on the second syllable. IPA references help—listen to regional dictionaries and Pronounce for audio exemplars.
Key challenges: the second syllable contains a compact /vær/ with a tense, mid-front vowel that can bleed into /vɑː/ in non-rhotic accents; the final /keɪt/ has a diphthong that learners often shorten. The sequence /ˈværɪ/ sits between stress and a fast suffix; mouth positions shift quickly from jaw-open to rounded lips for /keɪt/. Practice by isolating the /vær/ chunk and then adding the /ɪ/ before the glide to /keɪt/. IPA helps you visualize precise tongue height and lip rounding.
Is the first consonant cluster /pr/ really two sounds or a single blend in fluent speech? It’s two sounds: a puffed /p/ followed by a voiceless /r/ with rapid transition. In rapid speech you may hear a slight coalescence where the /r/ attaches to the following /ɪ/ or /ə/; keep a firm /p/ release and immediate /r/ to preserve the onset clarity. Use consistent voiceless onset for each attempt and check the transition into /ɪ/ or /ə/ before /keɪt/.
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US: rhotic, fuller /r/ coloration; clear /æ/ in VAR, emphasis on second syllable. UK: non-rhotic or weak rhotic; more varied /æ/ or /ɑː/ in VAR; final /keɪt/ often crisp. AU: non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech; /ɪ/ may reduce toward /ə/ before /k/; practice maintaining lip rounding and glide integrity. Use IPA as reference: /prɪˈværɪkeɪt/ (US), /priˈværɪkeɪt/ (UK), /ˈprɛvəˌrækˈeɪt/ (AU). Focus on the second syllable vowel and comfortable /r/ or lack thereof.
Prevaricate derives from the Latin word varicare, meaning to bend or slope, but the English path comes via late Latin varvicare or varvicatus, notions related to straying from a straight path. The form entered English through early modern usage, influenced by Latin pre- and varicare to form a sense of bending the truth. The core idea shifted from physically deviating to figuratively deviating in speech. By the 16th–17th centuries, prevaricate carried the meaning of speaking with deliberate evasiveness or partial truth. The term matured in rhetorical and legal texts, often signaling a willful avoidance of directness in testimony. Its connotation remains negative, implying dishonesty or obliqueness, especially in formal discourse about facts, accountability, or ethics. Over time, “prevaricate” has taken on a precise, almost prosecutorial tone in English, applied to statements, testimonies, or positions where truthfulness is compromised by hedging language or deceitful nuance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Prevaricate" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Prevaricate"
-ate sounds
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