Reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as imagined or desired. It denotes the objective world and events that occur independently of beliefs. In everyday use, it contrasts fantasy or illusion with what is verifiably true, often prompting practical judgments or actions.
"She faced the harsh reality of the situation when the project failed."
"He longed for a perfect reality, but settled for a workable compromise."
"The movie blurred fantasy and reality, making it hard to distinguish the two."
"They finally accepted the reality that the plan would need revision."
Reality comes from the Latin word res (thing, matter) and the ending -alitas (fulness, state) through Latin realitas, meaning the quality of being real. The term entered English via medieval philosophical Latin as a concept opposite of appearance or illusion, reflecting a shift from primarily theological discussions to secular inquiry about the world’s true nature. Early uses in the 15th–16th centuries carried abstract metaphysical weight, but by the 17th–18th centuries, it broadened to everyday discourse, science, and law, denoting concrete existence and factual state. In modern usage, reality often functions as a loaded term in debates about perception, media representation, and epistemology, while retaining its core sense of objective existence and fact, even as it is applied subjectively in personal life and storytelling.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Reality" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Reality"
-ity sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You say ri-AL-i-ty with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /riˈæləti/, UK /rɪˈæləti/, AU /rɪˈæləti/. Start with an easy ri-sound, then emphasize the /ˈæ/ as in cat, followed by /lə/ and ending with /ti/. Mouth positions: a quick initial R, then a stressed schwa-less 'a' in the second syllable, a light 'l', and a final 'ty' as /ti/. Listen for the 3-syllable rhythm: re-AL-i-ty.
Common errors: 1) Shifting stress to the first syllable (ri-AL-i-ty). Keep second-syllable stress. 2) Slurring the middle /ə/ into /e/ or /æ/ making /rɪˈælɪti/ vs /riˈæləti/. 3) Dropping the final /i/ or making it /ɪ/; aim for /ti/ at the end. Corrections: rehearse the three-syllable rhythm, practice with minimal pairs like ‘reality’ vs ‘realty’ to keep clear /æ/ vs /æ l-/. Use a slow-to-fast cadence to lock the rhythm.
US: /riˈæləti/ with strong rhotic R and clear /æ/. UK: /rɪˈæləti/ with shorter post-vocalic R if non-rhotic; stress remains on second syllable, vowel closer to /ɪ/ or /eɪ/ depending on speaker. AU: /rɪˈælətɪ/ or /rɪˈæl.ə.ti/ with broader vowel quality and non-rhotic tendencies; some Australians split the second syllable with a darker /ə/ or /æ/ depending on region. In all, the critical rhythm stays 2nd syllable stressed, but vowel quality and rhoticity vary.
Two main challenges: first, the sequence of vowels in ri-AL-i-ty—/iˈæləti/—requires quick, alternated movements between vowel sounds and a stressed syllable; second, ending with /ti/ can feel abrupt if you don’t release the alveolar stop cleanly. Practice by isolating the three nucleus vowels and smoothing the transitions with a light, quick mouth movement. Focus on maintaining steady rate while preserving the contrasts between /æ/ and /ə/.
Reality includes a subtle vowel reduction in fast speech, especially in casual registers, where the second syllable may be pronounced more like /ə/ or a schwa in rapid speech, making ri-ə-lə-ti sound. Yet careful enunciation keeps the /æ/ in the stressed syllable and a clear final /ti/. To capture this, practice both slow precise pronunciation and a natural faster version to ensure you remain understandable in conversation.
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