Seder is a Jewish ceremonial dinner held on the first night (and, for some communities, the second night) of Passover. As a noun, it designates both the ritual itself and the formal order of prayers, readings, and symbolic foods. The term also refers to the liturgical service that accompanies the meal, including the telling of the Exodus story. Pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable, it is a two-syllable word common in religious and cultural contexts.
"We attended a traditional Seder and followed the Haggadah’s readings and blessings."
"The Seder plate contains symbolic foods like matzah, bitter herbs, and charoset."
"During Passover, many families retell the Exodus narrative at the Seder."
"She asked a friend to explain the steps of the Seder if they weren’t familiar with the ritual."
Seder comes from Hebrew seder (סֵדֶר), meaning order, arrangement, or sequence, reflecting the organized liturgical structure of the Passover ritual. In biblical Hebrew, seder denotes an ordered sequence or arrangement, often of prayers, meals, or festival observances. The word entered English via Yiddish and scholarly transliterations and was established in religious vocabulary by early modern times, aligning with the Passover practice of a structured service. The concept of the Seder as the formal order of the ritual is central: it governs the sequence of four cups of wine, the recitation of particular blessings, the reading of the Haggadah, and the discussion of the Exodus story. Over centuries, the term broadened in English to refer to the event itself and the liturgical script surrounding it. First known English usage appears in the 17th to 18th centuries within translations and colonial religious texts that sought to describe Jewish observances to Christian readers, with later usage cementing the word in academic and cultural references to Passover rituals.
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Words that rhyme with "Seder"
-der sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Seder is pronounced /ˈsiː.dər/ in US and UK English, with the first syllable stressed. The initial vowel is a long 'ee' sound, followed by a schwa in the second syllable. The final -er is a reduced, unstressed schwa-like vowel. For most speakers, it sounds like 'SEE-dər'. Listen to native speakers via Forvo or YouGlish to hear subtle vowel quality. IPA: US/UK /ˈsiː.dər/, AU /ˈsiː.də(ɹ)/ with a slightly less rhotic final.
Common mistakes include pronouncing the first syllable as a short ‘e’ (like 'sed-er') and over-emphasizing the final -er as a full syllable. Some learners insert a 'd' sound that blends oddly with the following vowel, or they drop the /ˈ/ stress marker. Correct by holding the 'ee' as a long vowel (as in see), then quickly reduce the second syllable to /ər/; practice with “SEE-dər” and minimal pairs like SEE-der vs SEE-dur, ensuring the final consonant isn’t overemphasized.
In US and UK accents, /ˈsiː.dər/ with rhotics present and the final /r/ pronounced in most dialects. Australian speakers often have a non-rhotic tendency, with a weaker or slightly dropped final /r/ sound and a more centralized vowel in the second syllable, sounding closer to /ˈsiː.də/ or /ˈsiː.dəɹ/. The primary cross-accent difference is rhoticity and vowel quality; the first syllable remains a long 'ee' sound, but the post-vocalic /r/ varies by region.
The word hides subtle vowel length and the postvocalic /ər/ in many dialects. The long /iː/ in the first syllable can be misreduced to /ɪ/ or /ɪə/, while the second syllable’s /ər/ can be pronounced as /er/ or /ə/ depending on accent. Additionally, non-native speakers may struggle with keeping stress on the first syllable when speaking quickly in a sentence about the Seder. Focus on the crisp /siː/ plus the short, reduced second syllable. IPA tips help anchor the sound.
Seder has no silent letters, and the stress falls on the first syllable: /ˈsiː.dər/. The second syllable is unstressed and reduced, typical of many two-syllable English nouns. The challenge is maintaining the long /iː/ quality in the first syllable while producing a clean, quick /ər/ in the second. Practicing with a slow, segmented read helps; push the first syllable to a clear, tense vowel, then relax into the reduced second syllable.
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