Segue is a noun meaning a smooth, uninterrupted transition from one topic or section to another, often in performance, presentation, or music. It derives from Italian, where segui/segue means “to follow,” and in English it denotes a seamless shift or bridge between ideas, parts, or movements. The term emphasizes continuity and flow rather than abrupt change.
- You’ll likely neutralize or swallow the initial schwa and push the /eɪ/ onto an almost pure /eɪ/ without the glide; fix by emphasizing the /ə/ in the first syllable and making the /eɪ/ crisp. - Some speakers attach stress to the first syllable, producing /ˈsɪɡjuː/ or /ˈsɛɡjuː/; correct by keeping the first syllable unstressed /sə/ and stressing the second: /səˈɡeɪ/. - Another common error is pronouncing /g/ too softly or failing to release into a clean /eɪ/; practice with deliberate /ɡ/ + /eɪ/ release before joining to the following sound. - In connected speech, the /ɡ/ can assimilate to following alveolars; keep the articulation distinct during practice and use slower tempo to cement the pattern.
US: /səˈɡeɪ/ with a clear /ɡ/ and bright /eɪ/. UK: similar, but may be a touch crisper on the /eɪ/ with slightly less vowel length. AU: /səˈɡeɪ/ with vowel quality leaning toward centralized /ɜː/ in pre-pausal contexts and a crisp /ɡ/; the final vowel sound can be somewhat shortened in rapid speech. IPA references: US /səˈɡeɪ/, UK /səˈɡeɪ/, AU /səˈɡeɪ/.
"The speaker delivered a confident segue from the market analysis to the forecast."
"After the chorus, the song made a natural segue into the bridge."
"The presenter used a seamless segue to connect the first half to the second half of the talk."
"She prepared a clever musical segue that linked the two scenes without interruption."
Segue comes from Italian seguita or seguito from seguire, meaning to follow or to go after. In Italian, seguire means to follow, and seguita (feminine seguita) means followed. The English adoption occurred in the late 19th to early 20th century, initially in music and theater criticism to describe a smooth transition between movements or sections. The usage broadened to general speech and writing, where a segue marks an elegant progression from one topic to the next. While some English speakers initially anglicized the word with a strong stress on the second syllable (seh-GYOU), the more common contemporary pronunciation places emphasis on the second syllable with a soft initial s, yielding suh-GAYG-way in some accents and suh-GLAYG-oo in others; however, this last variant is less standard. First known printed usage in English traces to musical and theatrical critiques around the turn of the 20th century, reflecting the term’s emphasis on continuity and linking devices in discourse and performance.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Segue" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Segue" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Segue"
-gue sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce it as sə-GAY. In IPA for US/UK/AU, it's /səˈɡeɪ/. Stress falls on the second syllable. Start with a quick, relaxed schwa in the first syllable, then place strong focus on /ɡeɪ/: a voiced /ɡ/ followed by the long /eɪ/ vowel. If you’re smoothing a transition in speech, think of like “suh-GAY.” Audio references you can listen to include pronunciation apps and dictionaries listing /səˈɡeɪ/ for American and British usage.
Common errors: (1) pronouncing it as SEH-goo or SEH-gyoo with a hard first syllable; (2) splitting into two even syllables so it sounds like SAYG-you; (3) misplacing primary stress on the first syllable. Correction tips: keep a light, unstressed first syllable /sə/, then produce a clear /ˈɡeɪ/ with strong vowel clarity. Practice with minimal pairs and slow amplification to feel the /ɡ/ onset and /eɪ/ diphthong before speeding up.
In US pronunciation: /səˈɡeɪ/ with rhotic linkage depending on surrounding words. UK: often similar, but may have slight vowel color and a less aggressive /ɡ/ release. Australian: generally maintains /səˈɡeɪ/ but with Australian vowel quality, the /eɪ/ diphthong tends to be more centralized and the /ɡ/ is crisp. Overall, the syllable boundary remains the same, but vowel quality and intonation can shift slightly due to rhoticity and vowel height differences.
The challenge lies in the sudden, strong secondary vowel /eɪ/ in the second syllable and the presence of a voiced /g/ immediately before it, which can blur into /dʒ/ in rapid speech. Speakers often default to a two-syllable, stress on the first or misplace the stress. Mastery requires precise articulation of /ɡ/ and the glide in /eɪ/, plus maintaining a weak first syllable /sə/ alignment so the transition sounds natural.
A distinctive feature is its two-syllable rhythm with heavy second-syllable emphasis and a subtle initial schwa. The “segue” often serves as a rhetorical hinge; in careful speech you’ll clearly hear /səˈɡeɪ/ with a noticeable contrast between the soft first vowel and the bright diphthong in /eɪ/. In some contexts, especially rapid narration, the /ˈɡeɪ/ can merge slightly with adjacent vowels, so practicing with surrounding consonants helps preserve clarity.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Segue"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker say a segment containing segue, then imitate exactly with same pace, rhythm, and intonation. - Minimal pairs: compare /səˈɡeɪ/ with /saɡeɪ/ or /səˈɡiː/ to feel the correct diphthong and consonant. - Rhythm: practice as a hinge between phrases; use short pauses before and after to hear the transition. - Stress: maintain secondary stress patterns and avoid compression of /ɡeɪ/. - Recording: record yourself saying a segue in context, compare to model, adjust articulation. - Context practice: write 2 sentences and say them with a natural segue between them, focusing on the transition. - Speed progression: start slow, then normal, then fast; ensure the /ɡ/ is audible at all speeds.
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