3 syllables: Sep, a, rate. Stress on Sep.
SEP-ur-ayt
/ˈsɛpɚˌeɪt/
Separate is pronounced SEP-ur-ayt (/ˈsɛpɚˌeɪt/). It has three syllables (Sep-a-rate), with the stress on "Sep". Separate is an adjective meaning disconnected or distinct from something else. It also refers to the act of setting items apart or keeping them apart. In pronunciation, the word stresses the second syllable in many contexts, and its two-syllable form can appear in varied sentence positions (e.g., “a separate issue”). The term can function as a noun in phrases like “separate and apart.”.
adjectiveSeparate is an adjective meaning disconnected or distinct from something else. It also refers to the act of setting items apart or keeping them apart. In pronunciation, the word stresses the second syllable in many contexts, and its two-syllable form can appear in varied sentence positions (e.g., “a separate issue”). The term can function as a noun in phrases like “separate and apart.”
- You may over-stress the second syllable or wobble between /eɪ/ and /eə/; keep the primary stress on the first syllable and ensure the ending /reɪt/ is crisp, not a flat /ret/. - People often compress /ə/ into a schwa too aggressively, which makes the word sound like /ˈsepət/ instead of /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/. Make the middle vowel clearly reduced but audible. - Another common error is releasing the final /t/ as an overly crisp stop or as a blunt /d/; in rapid speech you may hear an unreleased /t/ or a softer stop. Practice with an audible /t/ or a light glottal stop depending on region.
How to Pronounce Separate
"We kept the two piles separate to avoid confusion."
"They requested separate bathrooms for each family."
"Each member has a separate role in the project."
US pronounces it with stress on the first syllable: /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/ or /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/ depending on pace; you may hear an optional secondary stress in careful speech. Start with /ˈsɛ/ as in “set,” then /pə/ with a relaxed schwa, and end with /ˌreɪt/ as in “rate.” Tip: avoid conflating with /ˈsɛpərət/ (a weaker final -ət).
Common errors include reducing the first syllable so it sounds like /ˈsepərət/ with a weak first vowel, or flattening the /eɪ/ ending to /e/ results in /ˈsɛpəret/. Some speakers place weak secondary stress on the second syllable, producing /ˈsɛpəˌrət/. Focus on keeping the /ˈsɛp/ onset strong and clearly articulating /eɪt/ at the end. Use slow practice to lock the final diphthong.
US tends to maintain a clear /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/ with a more pronounced /ˌreɪt/. UK often emphasizes the second syllable similarly but may reduce the /t/ or make it an unreleased /t/ in fast speech: /ˈsepəˌreɪt/. Australian tends to have a slightly flatter vowel quality in the first syllable and a less pronounced final /t/ or a glottalization of /t/ in casual speech: /ˈsepəˌreɪt/ with regional vowel shifts. All share two-syllable rhythm but vary vowel height and rhoticity.
The difficulty comes from the two-syllable rhythm with shifting stress patterns and a challenging ending diphthong /eɪt/ after an unstressed /ə/ in the middle. The first syllable is stressed, but the speaker often blends the schwa in the second syllable, making distinguishing /ˌreɪt/ tricky in connected speech. In fast speech, the final t may be unreleased, altering perceived word shape. Awareness of syllable timing and vowel quality helps.
Is there a silent letter in 'Separate' when used as an adjective? No. All letters are pronounced in careful articulation: two syllables with a clear /s/ onset, unstressed /ə/ in the middle, and a pronounced /reɪt/ or blended ending depending on speed. In careful speech you’ll hear /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/. This contrasts with some related words where the t may be softened.
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- US: Strengthen the initial /s/ and /sɛ/ with a clear, tight lip posture; final /t/ often released; maintain rhoticity if followed by a vowel in connected speech. - UK: Similar initial cluster, but the /t/ can be unreleased in casual speech; keep the middle /ə/ relaxed but not elided; the /eɪ/ should be distinct rather than flattened. - AU: Slightly flatter vowel space; the /r/ is non-rhotic; keep /ˈsepəˌreɪt/ with a clear final /t/ if in careful speech; vowel quality shifts may move /ɛ/ toward /e/ depending on speaker. IPA references: /ˈsepəˌreɪt/ for all main varieties, with regional vowel height differences.
Separate etymology traces to Middle English separaten, from Old French separer, from Latin separare, from separus ‘set or part apart.’ The Latin root se- means ‘apart, aside,’ combined with a parare ‘to put in place’ (from parare ‘to prepare, arrange’). The word entered English in the 13th century with senses of making something distinct or apart, and later broadened to describe both physical separation and conceptual distinctions. Over time, the adjective sense became common in legal, grammatical, and everyday language, often contrasting with ‘joined’ or ‘together.’ The phonetic form shifted in modern English via influences from French, with pronunciation stabilizing around /ˈsɛpəreɪt/ in American and British varieties, though some speakers may reduce the second syllable in fast speech to /ˈsɛpəret/ or /ˈsɛpəreɪt/. First known use citations appear in legal and scholastic texts from the 14th century, where separation of church and state or separate spheres were discussed, and the sense of setting apart items or ideas evolved through commerce and governance into common usage today.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Separate" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Separate"
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