4 syllables: Re, cu, per, ate. Stress on cu.
rik-OO-pur-ayt
/ɹɪˈkupɚˌeɪt/
Recuperate is pronounced rik-OO-pur-ayt (/ɹɪˈkupɚˌeɪt/). It has four syllables (Re-cu-per-ate), with the stress on "cu". Recuperate is a verb meaning to recover health, strength, or composure after illness, exertion, or stress. It implies a deliberate, gradual return to normal function, often after a period of decline. The term can also be used more broadly for restoring energy or morale after a setback. It is commonly used in medical, athletic, and wellness contexts.
verbRecuperate is a verb meaning to recover health, strength, or composure after illness, exertion, or stress. It implies a deliberate, gradual return to normal function, often after a period of decline. The term can also be used more broadly for restoring energy or morale after a setback. It is commonly used in medical, athletic, and wellness contexts.
- Begin by focusing on the stressed syllable, -PEYT, and ensure you glide cleanly from /riː/ to /kju/ before the /ˈpeɪt/ ending. - Mispronouncing the middle /ju/ as a separate simple vowel; instead use the /kjʊ/ or /kju/ sequence. - Forgetting the long E in /riː/ and shortening it to /rɪ/; keep it as a long vowel to avoid a flat beginning. - End with a clean diphthong /eɪt/ rather than /ət/ or /ate/. - Practice with minimal pairs focusing on the middle consonant cluster. Accurately, the correct rhythm is stress on -peɪt-, with a clear onset /riːkju/.
"After the marathon I rested for a day to recuperate."
"The patient took a few weeks to recuperate from the surgery."
"She used meditation to recuperate her focus before the exams."
Pronunciation: /ˌriːkjuˈpeɪt/. Break it into three syllables: re-: /riː/ (long E as in 'see'), cu-: /kjʊ/ or /kju/ (the 'cu' sounds like 'cue'), -pe-rate: /ˈpeɪt/ with a long A and a soft T ending. The primary stress is on the third syllable: ri-KEW-uh-PEAT. In careful speech, the 'cu' often sounds like /kju/ together with the /ˈpeɪt/ ending. Audio reference: try phonetic overlays from Pronounce or Forvo inhttps://pronounce and listen closely to the /ˌriːkjuˈpeɪt/ rhythm.
Common mistakes include: 1) Misplacing stress, saying ri-KU-pe-rate or re-CU-per-ate with the wrong primary stress on the middle or last syllable. 2) Slurring the /juː/ into a simple /ju/ or /u/—treat cu as /kju/ so you say ri-kju-PEIT instead of ri-KEW-uh-PEYT. 3) Pronouncing -ate as /æt/ instead of /eɪt/. Correct these by marking the syllable with full vowel sounds and keeping the long A /eɪ/ at the end. Practice with a slow tempo and record yourself to confirm the /ˌriːkjuˈpeɪt/ rhythm.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /ˌriːkjuˈpeɪt/. All three share the /riː/ initial and /peɪt/ final. Differences lie in the /r/ quality and vowel length: US typically rhotics with a pronounced /r/; UK often non-rhotic in some environments, but in careful pronunciation the /r/ can be lightly pronounced before a vowel; AU mirrors US rhotic patterns but with a subtle differences in the /ju/ sequence and vowel height. The /juː/ in the middle is commonly realized as /kjʊ/ or /kju/ depending on the speaker. Keep the /eɪ/ ending stable across accents.
The difficulty centers on three features: (1) the three-syllable rhythm with a non-intuitive stress on the third syllable; (2) the /kju/ sequence after the initial /riː/; and (3) the final /eɪt/ where many speakers mispronounce as /ət/ or /æt/. The tongue has to glide from a high front vowel to a palatal onset /kj/ before the long /eɪ/. Practicing slow, precise articulations of /riː/ then /kju/ and ending with /peɪt/ helps stabilize the rhythm and reduce mis-stress or reduction.
Recuperate is phonemically explicit: three pronounced syllables re-ku-pe-rate, with all letters contributing to the sounds. There are no silent letters in typical pronunciation. The syllable boundaries re- / ku- / pe- / rate are clearly heard as four syllables in many speakers due to the composite /riː.kjuˈpeɪt/ rhythm in fluent speech, but in careful enunciations, it is often treated as four distinct segments with primary stress on -pe- /ˈpeɪt/. Listen to native speakers for cadence cues.
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- US: rhotic pronunciation with full /r/; keep /iː/ as a long vowel; middle /kjʊ/ sequence; final /eɪt/ is clear and prolonged. - UK: often slightly less pronounced /r/ in non-stressed positions but when emphasized, you’ll hear a clear /r/ in careful speech; middle may be /kjʊ/ as well; final /eɪt/ stable. - AU: similar to US in rhoticity; may have a slightly different vowel color in /ɪː/ or /iː/ depending on speaker. Use IPA /ˌriːkjuˈpeɪt/ as anchor and adjust mouth position as you practice. - Vowel transitions: ensure the /iː/ is held, the /ju/ blends into the /k/ for a smooth /kj/ onset, and end with /eɪ/ for the final syllable.
Recuperate comes from Late Latin recuperare, meaning to recover or fetch back. The root recuper- traces to Latin recuperare, formed from re- ‘again’ + capere ‘to take, seize.’ In Latin, recuperare conveyed the sense of “take back” or “recover” in a broad sense, including health, vigor, or fortune. In English, the word entered medical and literary usage by the 17th century, gradually expanding to encompass general restoration of strength, energy, or spirits. The term often appeared in the sense of dietary or restorative processes, evolving through usage in medicine and physiology to denote the act of regaining health after illness or fatigue. Over time, recuperate acquired more colloquial and secular senses, including emotional or psychological recovery after stress or trauma, especially in wellness and sports discourse. The pronunciation stabilized with the modern stress pattern and syllable structure in Early Modern English, aligning with the French-influenced stressed-penultimate rhythm of similar verbs ending in -ate.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Recuperate" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Recuperate"
-ate sounds
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