riv-UR-suh-buhl
/ɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/
reversible is pronounced riv-UR-suh-buhl (/ɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/). Reversible describes something that can be turned or changed back to its original state or form. It is commonly used in science, mathematics, and everyday language to indicate a process or condition that can be undone or reversed without permanent change. The term emphasizes the possibility of restoration rather than permanence.
Reversible describes something that can be turned or changed back to its original state or form. It is commonly used in science, mathematics, and everyday language to indicate a process or condition that can be undone or reversed without permanent change. The term emphasizes the possibility of restoration rather than permanence.
- You: You might flatten the stressed /ˈvɜːr/ into a flat /ɜː/ or /ɜ/ leading to a weaker core; fix by raising pitch and maintaining a strong, crisp /ɜːr/. - You: You might run the second syllable together, saying /sɪbl/ instead of /sə.bəl/. Practice separating /si/ and /bəl/ with a touch of stress on /si/. - You: You might mispronounce /rɪˈvɜː.sɪ.bəl/ as /riˈvɜːrsə.bəl/ or drop the 'r' in non-rhotic accents; keep the rhotic sound in US and approximate in UK/AU.
"The chemical reaction is reversible, so the mixture can reform into its starting compounds."
"In math, a reversible function has a unique inverse, making it bidirectional."
"The policy is reversible, allowing amendments if new evidence arises."
You pronounce it as /rɪˈvɜːr.sɪ.bəl/ in US English or /rɪˈvɜː.sɪ.bəl/ in UK English. The primary stress is on the second syllable, VER. Start with a quick, light 'ri-' before the stressed 'VER' and finish with a neutral, soft '-si-ble'. In careful speech, the first syllable is slightly unstressed: ri-; the middle syllable carries the main emphasis. Mouth position: lips relaxed, tongue high-mid for /ɜːr/ and /ɜː/ vowel, and final /bəl/ with a light bilabial closure before the alveolar L. Listening example: ri-VER-si-ble.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable instead of the second (ri-VER-si-ble), mispronouncing the /ɜː/ as a short /ɜ/ or /ə/ (which softens the VER vowel), and ending with /bl/ instead of /bəl/. Correct these by maintaining the /ɜː/ quality in the stressed syllable, making sure the final /əl/ has a light, relaxed schwa before the l. Practice saying ri-VER-si-ble with careful enunciation of the final syllable to avoid an abrupt /bl/.”
In US English, /rɪˈvɜːr.sə.bəl/ features rhotic /r/ and a clear /ɜːr/ with a lengthened r- colored vowel; in UK English, /rɪˈvɜː.sɪ.bəl/ typically has a shorter rhotic vowel and may reduce the second syllable closer to /sə/; Australian English tends toward /rɪˈvɜː.sɪ.bəl/ with moderate rhoticity and a slightly lower vowel quality in the first stressed syllable. The main differences are vowel length and rhoticity; all share the same primary stress on VER.
The difficulty stems from the sequence of vowels in /ɪˈvɜːr.sə.bəl/: the stressed /ɜːr/ involves a mid-back vowel with r-coloring, followed by a reduced /sə/ and a final /bəl/ with a soft, light end. It also has unstressed syllables that can reduce to schwa, creating variability. The cluster /r s/ between the syllables can cause blending; keeping distinct syllabic boundaries helps clarity. Focus on the stressed /VER/ and the final /bəl/ to stabilize pronunciation across contexts.
A unique point is the contrast between the stressed /ˈvɜːr/ and the weakly sounded second syllable /sə/; ensure the 'ver' is strong and the following /si/ is crisp rather than swallowed. Pay attention to the /ɜː/ quality, which is a mid-central to mid-back vowel with r-coloring in rhotic accents, and avoid turning it into a pure /ɜ/ or /ə/. This helps distinguish reversible from visually similar forms like 'irreversible' where the initial syllable differs significantly.
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- US: Maintain rhotic /r/ in all rhotic positions; keep the /ɜː/ in the stressed syllable and a clear /ə/ in the second unstressed syllable. - UK: Slightly shorter /ɜː/ with less rhotic coloring; ensure a crisp /s/ in the third syllable and a soft, non-emphasized final /əl/. - AU: Similar to UK with a flatter vowel in /ɜː/ and a tendency toward a less pronounced rhotic; still keep the stress on VER and the final /bəl/ clearly enunciated.
Reversible comes from the prefix re- (again, back) + vers- (to turn) from the Latin verb vertere, meaning to turn. The modern form moves through Old French reversible before entering English, with the sense evolving from simply turning back to also implying the possibility of return to a prior state. Proto-Latin roots include reversus, the past participle of vertere, and the verb versa, which underlies many related terms. The word entered English by the 17th century as a formal or technical term, adopted in scientific and mathematical nomenclature as understanding of processes that can proceed in both directions expanded. Its usage broadened in everyday language to describe non-permanent changes, reversible decisions, and reversible processes in mechanics and chemistry. Over time, the sense shifted from a purely physical notion of turning to include abstract reversibility, such as reversible options or reversible systems. First known use in English is attested in the 1600s, aligning with the growth of scientific language during the Scientific Revolution and the expansion of Latin-derived vocabulary in learned discourse.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "reversible" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "reversible" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "reversible"
-ble sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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