2 syllables: Quo, rum. Stress on Quo.
KWAW-ruhm
/ˈkwɔɹəm/
Quorum is pronounced KWAW-ruhm (/ˈkwɔɹəm/). It has two syllables (Quo-rum), with the stress on "Quo". Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present for valid decision-making in a group or assembly. It ensures that a representative portion of the body participates in proceedings, preventing actions from proceeding with too few voices. In practice, a quorum establishes legitimacy for votes, meetings, and formal actions.
nounQuorum is the minimum number of members required to be present for valid decision-making in a group or assembly. It ensures that a representative portion of the body participates in proceedings, preventing actions from proceeding with too few voices. In practice, a quorum establishes legitimacy for votes, meetings, and formal actions.
- You’ll sometimes hear people mispronouncing the first syllable as 'cue-OR-um', which softens the /ɔː/ vowel. Fix by focusing on a longer, rounded /ɔː/ and a tighter mouth position for /r/. - Another frequent error: misplacing the stress on the second syllable or flattening the first syllable to a quick 'kwor', which makes the word sound incomplete. Practice with slow, deliberate onset: /ˈkwɔːr/ then /əm/. - Final /m/ can be under-released, producing an indistinct ending. Exercise: hold the /m/ briefly after the /ə/ to solidify closure. - In non-rhotic speakers, the /r/ may be weak; ensure a light but audible /r/ before the vowel that ends with /əm/. You want a clean alveolar contact followed by a short schwa before /m/.
How to Pronounce Quorum
"The committee couldn't vote on the resolution because a quorum wasn't reached."
"A quorum is usually defined in the organization’s bylaws and must be met before any official business begins."
"If attendance drops, the meeting may be adjourned until a quorum is achieved."
Quorum is pronounced /ˈkwɔːr.əm/ in US English, with the primary stress on the first syllable. In UK English you’ll hear /ˈkwɒr.əm/ and in Australian English also often /ˈkwɒːr.əm/ or /ˈkwɔː.əm/. Place your lips rounded for the /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ vowel, and end with a light, unstressed schwa-like /ə/ after the first syllable. Think: KWOR-um. Audio: you can reference standard dictionaries with audio, or resource like Pronounce for example.</n/a>
Common errors: treating the first syllable as 'cue-OR-um' with a weakened /ɔː/; simplifying to 'kwor-um' without the rounded vowel; or misplacing stress as on the second syllable. Correction: stress the first syllable with /ˈkwɔː/ or /ˈkwɒ/, ensuring a clear long vowel before the /r/. End with a short, reduced /əm/ and a light, quick /ə/ rather than a full 'oom'. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on the /ɔː/ vs /ɒ/ vowel, and record to compare mouth position.
In US English, /ˈkwɔːr.əm/ with rhotic r (/r/) pronounced; in most UK varieties, /ˈkwɒr.əm/ with non-rhotic r and a shorter /ɒ/ vowel; in Australian English, /ˈkwɒː.əm/ or /ˈkwɔː.əm/, with a broader /ɒː/ or a more centralized /ɒ/ and a lightly rolled or tapped r depending on speaker. The key differences are vowel quality in the first syllable and the rhoticity of /r/ in the US vs non-rhotic in many UK accents.
Two main challenges: the stressed first syllable with the mid-back rounded vowel /ɔː/ can be subtle for non-native speakers; and the /r/ consonant followed by a schwa can blur into /rə/ if the final /m/ is not clearly released. The second risk is a quick, clipped second syllable. To master it, practice sustaining the long /ɔː/ before /r/ and ensure a crisp /m/ with relaxed lips."
Does the word 'Quorum' ever get misread as 'Quorum' with silent r? No. Quorum pronounces the /r/ in rhotic accents, and even in some non-rhotic varieties you’ll hear a subtle linking sound before the final syllable. The unique feature is the clear /r/ onset in the first syllable and the final /m/ closure; you should keep the /r/ audible in most forms and avoid dropping it in careful speech.
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- US: pronounced with rhotic /r/; keep the tongue slightly bunched for the /ɔː/ and release into /r/ smoothly before the /əm/. IPA: /ˈkwɔːɹ.əm/ - UK: non-rhotic tendency; ensure the /r/ is not pronounced; make the first vowel closer to /ɒ/ and reach a short, clipped /ə/ before /m/. IPA: /ˈkwɒ.m/ or /ˈkwɒr.əm/ depending on speaker. - AU: often /ˈkwɒː.əm/ or /ˈkwɔː.əm/; vowels may be broader; keep the second syllable unstressed and relaxed. - Common across accents: keep the first syllable stressed with a clear /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ vowel, then a quick /r/ (US) or none (UK), and finish with a crisp /əm/.
Quorum comes from Latin quorum, ablative of qui, meaning 'of whom' or 'of those men'. It arose in English legal and parliamentary language during the 15th–16th centuries as a term used in official records to denote the number of members whose presence is necessary to legally conduct business. The root qui/quem traces to the Latin relative pronoun, and the suffix -orum signals a plural genitive in Latin, indicating the group or set of people involved. Early usage appears in medieval and early modern municipal and ecclesiastical boards, where formal actions required a specific attendance to be binding. Over time, the word narrowed to reference the minimal participating subset of a body—often a fixed percentage or number defined by bylaws—distinguishing it from mere presence. In modern English, quorum remains a technical term in governance, corporate, nonprofit, and civic contexts, frequently accompanied by phrases like 'quorum present' or 'quorum requirement'. The pronunciation has settled as /ˈkwɔːr.əm/ in many varieties, with regional variations in vowel quality, while the core meaning—validity of action based on attendance—has remained stable. First known uses in print appear in parliamentary records and church governance documents from the Tudor period onward, reflecting institutional needs to anchor legitimacy in a defined attendance threshold.
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Words that rhyme with "Quorum"
-eum sounds
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