SPEE-kur
/ˈspikɚ/
speaker is pronounced SPEE-kur (/ˈspikɚ/). Speaker refers to a person who speaks, or a device that emits sound. In everyday use, it denotes a person delivering a talk or presentation, or a device component that outputs audio. The term also appears in contexts like 'public speaker' or 'loudspeaker.' It carries neutral to slightly formal connotations depending on context.
Speaker refers to a person who speaks, or a device that emits sound. In everyday use, it denotes a person delivering a talk or presentation, or a device component that outputs audio. The term also appears in contexts like 'public speaker' or 'loudspeaker.' It carries neutral to slightly formal connotations depending on context.
"The keynote speaker captivated the audience with her data-driven insights."
"Turn up the speaker; I can barely hear the dialogue from the film."
"He is a renowned motivational speaker who travels the world."
Standard pronunciation is SPEE-kər with the first syllable stressed. In IPA for US: /ˈspiː.kɚ/; UK/US non-rhotic instances can be /ˈspiː.kə/ in some accents while most American speech retains the rhotacized final syllable: /ˈspiː.kɚ/. Start with a long /iː/ in the first syllable, then reduce the final to a quick, unstressed schwa or rhotacized /ɚ/. Practically, say 's-PEE' then lightly close the lips for '-ker', keeping the tongue relaxed.
Two frequent errors are: (1) compressing the vowel before the final consonant, so it sounds like /spiːkər/ with an elongated middle; (2) misplacing the final /ɚ/ or dropping it, producing /ˈspiːkə/ without rhotacization in American accents. Tip: keep the final /ɚ/ quick and centered behind the alveolar ridge; make sure the /r/ coloring stays consistent if your accent preserves rhotics. Practice with minimal pairs like /ˈspiː.kɚ/ vs /ˈspiː.kə/ to hear the distinction.
In US English, final /ɚ/ is rhotacized: /ˈspiː.kɚ/. In many UK varieties, the final may be more reduced to a non-rhotic /ˈspiː.kə/ with less rhotic coloring, especially in non-rhotic accents. Australian English tends to be closer to UK but with slight vowel length differences and a softer final vowel, often closer to /ˈspiː.kə/ with occasional rhotic-ish coloration in connected speech. The first syllable consistently carries the primary stress across all variants.
The challenge lies in the quick transition from a long /iː/ to a lax, reduced final vowel and potential rhotic coloring. The sequence /spiː/ requires precise tongue height and lip rounding, then the /k/ onset of the second syllable can blend with a lightly articulated /ər/ or /ə/. Accurate timing between syllables, plus maintaining a crisp /k/ release before the hurried final vowel, is essential across dialects.
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Speaker comes from the Old English speaigan or spëacan, denoting a speaker or speaking. The modern noun derives from the verb form speak, with the agentive suffix -er, indicating a person who performs the action of speaking or producing speech. Its earliest senses aligned with someone who speaks or proclaims; with the advent of mechanical devices, the term broadened to include devices that emit sound, notably the loudspeaker. The compound form (loudspeaker) emerged in the 20th century as sound technology advanced. In contemporary usage, speaker often stands alone when the meaning is clear from context (e.g., ‘the speaker will discuss…’) or is paired with adjectives or nouns to disambiguate (public speaker, loudspeaker, in-car speaker). The word reflects a long history in English of agentive nominalization from verb roots, with the semantic shift from a person who speaks to an object that speaks or transmits sound. First known uses appear in Middle English writings referencing speech acts, while device-related senses proliferated with audio technologies in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, aligning with the era of telecommunication and public address systems.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "speaker" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "speaker"
-ker sounds
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