5 syllables: Re, s Ju, di, ca, ta. Stress on Re.
REZ joo-DIK-uh-tuh
/ˈrɛz d͡ʒuːˈdɪkətə/
Res Judicata is pronounced REZ joo-DIK-uh-tuh (/ˈrɛz d͡ʒuːˈdɪkətə/). It has five syllables (Re-s Ju-di-ca-ta), with the stress on "Re". Res judicata is a Latin legal doctrine meaning that a matter has been finally adjudicated and cannot be relitigated. It refers to a claim or issue that has been finally decided by a competent court, barring further action on the same matter. The term is typically used in civil procedure to prevent endless litigation and ensure finality.
nounRes judicata is a Latin legal doctrine meaning that a matter has been finally adjudicated and cannot be relitigated. It refers to a claim or issue that has been finally decided by a competent court, barring further action on the same matter. The term is typically used in civil procedure to prevent endless litigation and ensure finality.
- You’ll often stress on the wrong syllable; ensure the primary stress sits on -dic-: dɪˈka tə; practice with a slight pause after 'res'. - Don’t mush 'ju' with 'dic': keep /dʒuː/ clearly separate from /dɪk/. Record yourself; slow down at the transition. - End syllables can be reduced in fast speech; avoid pronouncing final -ta as a heavy syllable. Aim for a light, clipped end /tə/. - In connected speech, avoid adding extra vowels between res and judicata; keep a clean boundary and then the stress. - Practice with minimal pairs to fix vowel quality; e.g., /juː/ vs /juːd/ and /kɑː/ vs /kæt/.
How to Pronounce Res Judicata
"The plaintiff’s case was dismissed due to res judicata, as the issue had already been resolved in a prior suit."
"After the verdict, the defendant argued that res judicata applied to bar any further claims arising from the same transaction."
"The appellate court held that res judicata barred the new action because the essential facts were already adjudicated in the original case."
Accent placement is on the third syllable of judicata: res ju-DIC-ata. In IPA (US): rɪz dʒuːdɪˈkɑːtə; UK: rɪz dʒuːˈdɪkætə; AU: rɪz dʒuːˈdɪkətə. Start with 'res' as /rɪz/, then 'ju' as /dʒuː/ (like 'dew'), then the stressed 'di' as /ˈdɪ/ or /ˈdɪk/, followed by /ə/ and /tə/. Stress on the penultimate syllable 'ca' in most dialects: judicata. Take a brief pause between 'res' and 'judicata' before the main stress.
Common errors: 1) Stress misplacement on 'res' or the first syllable of judicata; 2) Slurring 'ju-' and '-dic-' into a single syllable; 3) Mispronouncing the final 'a' as a hard 'ah' instead of a schwa. Correction tips: say res with clear /rɪz/, pronounce /dʒuː/ for 'ju-', place the primary stress on /ˈdɪ/ within 'dic', clearly articulate /ə tə/ at the end, and maintain a two-beat rhythm for the word as a whole.
US: rɪz dʒuːdɪˈkɑːtə with American rhotic /ɹ/. UK: rɪz dʒuːˈdɪkætə; non-rhotic r, shorter /ɪ/ in 'dic', and a clearer 'a' in 'ta'. AU: rɪz dʒuːˈdɪkətə with slightly flatter vowels and a tendency toward broader /ɐ/ in final syllables. Key differences: rhoticity, vowel quality in the stressed syllable, and the final unstressed vowels.” ,
The difficulty comes from the Latin origin, long vowels, and multiple consonant clusters. The 'ju-' blends /dʒuː/ with a stressed /ˈdɪ/ and a final /kə tə/. The sequence 'dic' can be challenging: avoid conflating with 'dise' and keep a crisp /dɪk/ rather than a lax /dɪkə/. Also maintain the two-syllable rhythm across the word, especially in rapid speech.
No, all letters contribute to pronunciation in standard Latinized use. The 'a' letters are spoken as vowels (a in -ata is fully pronounced). Some speakers may reduce final -a to a schwa in fast speech, but in formal context keep /ə/ or /ə/ followed by a light /tə/ for a clean ending.
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- US: rhotic r; keep /r/ preceding 'e' and 's' crisp; vowel in 'ju' is long /uː/; 'dic' has /dɪ/ with strong voicing; final -ta uses schwa-like /ə/ then /tə/. - UK: non-rhotic /r/ after vowel; 'dic' tends toward /dɪkætə/ with a slightly shorter /æ/ in 'cat' and maybe a stronger exposure of each syllable. - AU: more centralized vowel quality; final -ta tends toward a light /tə/ with less diphthongization; keep the 'ju' as /dʒuː/ and the main stress on judic- /ˈdɪkə/; maintain the two-beat rhythm. Use IPA references and practice with audio models.
Res judicata is a Latin phrase combining res (thing, matter) and judicata (judicated, judged). The root judicare comes from iudicium, meaning judgment, decision, or court. In Roman law, res judicata referred to a matter that had received a final judgment, preventing further action on the same claim. The concept migrated into common law and civil procedure, becoming a cornerstone of finality in litigation. The earliest English usage appears in the 17th–18th centuries as jurists codified preclusion principles, though similar doctrines existed in Roman-Demonstrative and canon law much earlier. In modern practice, res judicata encompasses both claim preclusion (precludes bringing new claims arising from the same transaction) and issue preclusion (precludes relitigating specific issues). The term is now a standard technical noun in legal dictionaries and bar exam vocab, frequently appearing in case summaries and procedural rules. The pronunciation has remained stable as /rɪz dʒuːdɪˈkɑːtə/ in American English, with subtle stress shifts in other dialects, yet the Latin roots preserve the word’s formal, timeless legal resonance across jurisdictions.
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Words that rhyme with "Res Judicata"
-ica sounds
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