2 syllables: Re, pose. Stress on pose.
ree-POHZ
/ɹiˈpoʊz/
Repose is pronounced ree-POHZ (/ɹiˈpoʊz/). It has two syllables (Re-pose), with the stress on "pose". Repose (n.) refers to a state of rest or calm, often implying peaceful stillness or leisure. It can denote a place of rest or the act of resting, as well as a momentary pause in activity. The term carries a formal, somewhat literary tone and is commonly used in contexts about serenity, assemblies, or restfulness.
nounRepose (n.) refers to a state of rest or calm, often implying peaceful stillness or leisure. It can denote a place of rest or the act of resting, as well as a momentary pause in activity. The term carries a formal, somewhat literary tone and is commonly used in contexts about serenity, assemblies, or restfulness.
"Her repose was interrupted by the distant hum of traffic."
"The statue sits in quiet repose beneath the old elm."
"After a long journey, she sought repose in a quiet corner of the library."
To pronounce repose, say /rɪˈpoʊz/ in US and UK. The stress is on the second syllable: ri-POSE. In IPA: US/UK /rɪˈpoʊz/. The first syllable is a short, lax 'ri' sound; the second syllable rhymes with close, rose, those. In careful enunciation, the final z is a voiced alveolar fricative. You’ll place the tongue high for /ɪ/ then dip into /ˈpoʊz/ with rounded lips for /oʊ/ and a voiced /z/ at the end. Audio examples: consult a pronunciation tool for a native-speaker recording.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (saying re-POSE with first-stress), shortening the final syllable to /poʊz/ or mispronouncing as /riːˈpoʊz/ with a long /iː/ in the first syllable. Another frequent error is pronouncing the second syllable with a /s/ instead of /z/ (s-voice mismatch), or rounding the vowel too early, producing /rəˈpoʊs/. Correct by emphasizing the second syllable and maintaining /poʊ/ with a clear /z/ at the end.
In general, American and British accents share /rɪˈpoʊz/ with rhoticity in US; UK often uses a similar /rɪˈpəʊz/ in non-rhotic accents where the final 'r' is not pronounced, and /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/ vowel quality differs slightly. Australian English tends toward /ɹɪˈpoʊz/ or /ɹɪˈpəʊz/ depending on speaker, with vowel quality favoring /əʊ/ or a slightly reduced second vowel. The main differences are vowel quality in the second syllable and rhoticity influence on the first vowel.
Repose challenges listeners often face include the two-syllable rhythm with secondary stress on the second syllable, the/diphthong /ˈpoʊ/ where the mouth has to tighten for the /po/ and then glide to the /ʊ/ /z/ ending; some speakers smooth /poʊ/ to /poʊ/ with a reduced second vowel in rapid speech. The voiced final /z/ requires keeping voicing continuous from /z/ rather than a stale /s/. Emphasize the second syllable and keep your lips rounded for /oʊ/.
In some poetic or archaising contexts, English may place unusual emphasis for emphasis or meter, yielding a variant /ˌriːˈpoʊz/ or /ˈriːpoʊz/ depending on emphasis, though standard speech remains /rɪˈpoʊz/. A potential minimal pair contrast is repose (/rɪˈpoʊz/) versus repose in noun form with stress on the first syllable in rare uses like 'REpose' as a title or archaic spellings; however, modern conventions keep second-syllable stress. For pronunciation practice, focus on consistent /ɪ/ in first syllable and /oʊ/ in the second.
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Repose comes from the Old French repose, from Latin re- ‘back’ + pono, ponere ‘to place, put’. In Latin, re- carried the sense of ‘again’ while ponere meant ‘to put’ or ‘to place,’ signaling a sense of putting one’s body and mind at ease. In English, repose originally carried physical connotations of lying down or resting; over time it broadened to denote a state of mental calm as well. By Middle English, it referred to both the act of resting and a rest period, often in literary or ceremonial contexts. In modern usage, repose can describe physical resting (a pause, a nap) or a figurative calm (repose of the mind). First known uses appear in late medieval/early modern English texts, with frequent appearances in poetry and prose to convey dignity and tranquility.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Repose" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Repose" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Repose"
-ose sounds
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