STAHR-tur
/ˈstɑɹtɚ/
starter is pronounced STAHR-tur (/ˈstɑɹtɚ/). A noun or adjective referring to something that begins something else (e.g., a starter for a car, a starter dish, or a starter in a competition). It can also describe someone who begins or initiates a process. The term is commonly used in culinary, mechanical, and event contexts. The core idea is initiating, commencing, or starting equipment.
A noun or adjective referring to something that begins something else (e.g., a starter for a car, a starter dish, or a starter in a competition). It can also describe someone who begins or initiates a process. The term is commonly used in culinary, mechanical, and event contexts. The core idea is initiating, commencing, or starting equipment.
"The starter pistol fired to signal the race's start."
"Please bring a starter to the potluck so we can begin the meal."
"She used a sourdough starter to bake bread."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on two syllables: /ˈstɑːr.tər/ (US) or /ˈstɑː.tə/ (UK/AU). The stress is on the first syllable. Start with /st/ + open back vowel /ɑː/ before the rhotic /r/ in US, then /tər/ or /tə/. Keep the final /ər/ reduced in non-rhotic UK English, sounding like /tə/ or /ə/. Quick tip: ensure the /r/ is pronounced in rhotic accents; in non-rhotic accents you can omit the postvocalic r in careful speech but still keep /ə/.
Two main pitfalls: (1) Not clearly articulating the /r/ in rhotic accents, turning /ˈstɑːr.tər/ into /ˈstɑː.tə/. (2) Over-pronouncing the final /er/ as /ər/ in non-rhotic contexts or too reduced as /ə/. Aim for a light, quick /tər/ or /tə/ depending on the accent. Keep the first syllable steady with /ɑː/ before the /r/; avoid turning the second syllable into a hard /er/ like 'care'.
In US English, /ˈstɑːr.tər/ with a pronounced /r/ and a clear second syllable /tər/. UK English tends to be non-rhotic, often /ˈstɑː.tə/ with weaker final /r/ and reduced vowel quality, and Australian English is similarly non-rhotic but with slightly flatter vowels and less tense /ɑː/. In all, the first syllable holds /ɑː/ in most dialects; the main variance is rhoticity and final vowel quality.
Difficulties arise from the cluster /st/ onset, the long /ɑː/ before /r/ in rhotic accents, and the schwa-like or reduced final syllable /ər/ or /ə/. Coarticulation makes the /r/ affect neighboring vowels; in non-rhotic varieties, the final /r/ disappears, altering the rhythm. Practicing the transition from /stɑː/ to /r/ and then to a light /ər/ helps stabilize the word.
Starter is stressed on the first syllable: /ˈstɑːr.tər/ (US) or /ˈstɑː.tə/ (UK). The second syllable remains unstressed and much shorter, often reduced. To feel this, practice dividing it into two beats: strong beat on STAR, weaker beat on ter. Then practice with longer phrases to maintain natural rhythm.
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US: emphasize rhotic /r/ in /stɑːr/ and hold a clear /ər/; UK: weaker final /r/, finalize with /tə/ or /ə/; AU: similar to UK but with more centralized vowels and a non-rolled /r/. IPA references: US /ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/; UK /ˈstɑː.tə/; AU /ˈstɑː.tə/; note vowel length before /r/ and the non-rhotic tendency in UK/AU.
Starter comes from the verb start, dating to Old English steartian (to startle or cause to move) and Proto-Germanic *stertjanan, related to stone or strong motion. The noun form began appearing in the 15th century, originally meaning something that causes movement or excitement, then expanding to equipment that starts a machine (e.g., a car’s starting mechanism) and finally to a person who begins an activity. The sense of initiating an action or process persisted into modern usage, with metaphorical uses such as starter materials in cooking (e.g., starter cultures) and starter courses in meals. Over time, “starter” also came to denote equipment that begins a process, as well as a preliminary or introductory stage in competitions or programs. First known written examples appear in Middle English texts, with broader attestations in print by the 17th–18th centuries as mechanical devices and culinary terms proliferated in everyday language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "starter" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "starter" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "starter"
-ter sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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