Rape (noun) refers to the act of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse against their will. It denotes a violent, non-consensual sexual assault and is legally defined with constraints varying by jurisdiction. The term carries heavy ethical, legal, and emotional weight and is used in both legal contexts and discourse about sexual violence. It is a grave, taboo word that should be used with sensitivity and precision.
- Common challenges: mastering the /r/ onset vs. a hard /r/ vs. a light American /ɹ/ sound; correctly navigating the /eɪ/ diphthong; producing a precise, unaspirated-to-aspirated /p/ release at the end. - Corrections: practice with minimal pairs: /reɪp/ vs /riːp/ to highlight the diphthong, and /rap/ to ensure no extra syllable; ensure quick lip closure for /p/ without voicing; hold breath briefly after pulse to emphasize the final plosive. Ensure you don’t insert a schwa after the vowel. Speak slowly at first, then increase speed while maintaining sharp release.
- US: slight rhotic awareness? For this word, the r is less prominent in post-laryngeal contexts; focus on a crisp onset with /r/ articulation, then the /eɪ/ vowel in one smooth glide; /p/ should be released quickly. - UK: /r/ not rhotic in initial position but often a clear, non-rhotic pronunciation in connected speech; keep /eɪ/ as a clean diphthong; final /p/ aspirated in most careful speech. - AU: similar to UK, with a broad vowel quality; maintain /eɪ/ as central to forward tongue position and ensure a strong, soft /p/ release. Use IPA /reɪp/ for guidance across accents.
"The survivor described the crime as rape in the police report."
"Legislation aims to deter rape and protect victims."
"Media coverage of rape cases often raises questions about consent and accountability."
"Debates about prevention programs focus on education, justice, and support for survivors."
The word rape has a long, dark history in the English language. It derives from the Latin word rapere, meaning to seize, snatch, or carry off. The Romance language descendants of rapere evolved into forms like French ravir (to abduct, delight) and Italian rapire (to seize). In early Middle English, rape appeared in legal and moral texts referring to abduction or seizure, especially of women, and carried a strong connotation of forcible taking. Over centuries, its semantic field narrowed in many contexts to sexual violence, while broader senses of ‘to seize’ persisted in phrases unrelated to sex (for example, “rape of the land” in poetry can mean seizure). By the modern era, legal definitions refined the term to denote non-consensual sexual activity, with stipulations about coercion, force, or lack of consent. First attested in English in the 13th-14th centuries, the term’s usage became increasingly associated with violent crime by the 18th-19th centuries as laws around sexual violence emerged. The word remains heavily stigmatized and its pronunciation and usage are treated with careful sensitivity in all formal and academic contexts.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Rape" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Rape" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Rape" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Rape"
-ape sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
It is pronounced as /reɪp/, with the vowels forming a single long diphthong. Start with an open, mid-front position for /eɪ/ before gliding to a higher position; the final /p/ is a crisp, aspirated voiceless bilabial plosive. Place the tongue high and forward for the vowel, lips lightly spread, and release the air with a short burst. IPA: /reɪp/.
Common errors include pronouncing as /riːp/ with a long /iː/ instead of the /eɪ/ diphthong, or adding an extra syllable like /ˈreɪpə/ by inserting an unnecessary schwa. Some learners mispronounce the final /p/ as a bilabial fricative or omit aspirated release. To correct: keep the diphthong single and tight, ensure a clear, final stop by releasing the lips in a quick burst without voicing, and avoid dragging the vowel.
Across US/UK/AU, the核心 sound is the same /reɪp/. US and UK share rhoticity in other words but here the word is non-rhotic by definition; the /r/ is not pronounced as a post-vocalic rhotic here. The primary difference appears in surrounding vowels and intonation in connected speech; in careful speech, all three pronounce the diphthong /eɪ/ similarly. Australian speakers often have a slightly centralized quality on nearby vowels but maintain the /reɪp/ nucleus.
Difficulty stems from the short, forceful /p/ release after the diphthong, which requires precise lip closure and voiceless aspiration. Learners may produce a voiced ending or omit the final plosive, causing a softer sound, or substitute /eɪ/ with /iː/ or /ɛɪ/. Achieving clean lip seal for /p/ and avoiding postvocalic voicing are key challenges; practice with minimal pairs emphasizing the mouth position and air release.
There is no silent letter in standard pronunciations of 'rape' in US/UK/AU varieties. The word is a single syllable with a clear /r/ onset in US/UK contexts, followed by the diphthong /eɪ/ and a final /p/. Some regional speech patterns may sound like the /r/ is stronger or weaker, or the /p/ release is less aspirated in rapid speech, but there are no officially silent letters.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Rape"!
- Shadowing: listen to native speakers saying /reɪp/ and try to match timing, intonation, and mouth shape; record yourself and compare. - Minimal pairs: practice with /riːp/ and /rhep/ or /rey/ with different vowels to feel the diphthong boundaries. - Rhythm practice: stress-timed rhythm, emphasize the syllable nucleus /eɪ/ and the final /p/ closure; practice with sentences like You heard the rape report? Adjust pacing to maintain clarity. - Stress patterns: since it’s a single-syllable word, focus on full vowel quality and crisp final plosive. - Recording: test/compare your samples with native speakers; focus on precise lip seal for /p/ and distinct pre-vocalic /r/.
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