STRAY-tuhn
/ˈstɹeɪtən/
straighten is pronounced STRAY-tuhn (/ˈstɹeɪtən/). Straighten is a verb meaning to make something straight or to correct one’s posture or alignment. It implies removing curvature or irregularity and bringing parts into proper alignment. The term is commonly used in physical contexts (stretching posture), tailoring, and procedures that require adjustment to achieve a straight form.
Straighten is a verb meaning to make something straight or to correct one’s posture or alignment. It implies removing curvature or irregularity and bringing parts into proper alignment. The term is commonly used in physical contexts (stretching posture), tailoring, and procedures that require adjustment to achieve a straight form.
"Please straighten your back before you begin the exercise."
"The tailor will straighten the hem to ensure the dress falls evenly."
"You should straighten the picture on the wall so it’s perfectly level."
Pronounce as /ˈstreɪtən/ in US/UK/AU. The first syllable carries the primary stress: STRAIGHT-ən. Start with the diphthong /eɪ/ as in gate, glide into /t/ release, and end with a weak schwa /ən/ or a syllabic n depending on pace. In careful speech, fully articulate the /t/ before the final reduced vowel; in rapid speech, the /t/ can be lightly aspirated or even flapped to a softer /ɾ/ before the /ən/. Visualize: STRAY-then without a pause between /t/ and /ən/ in fast speech.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying streɪ-TEN) and mispronouncing the vowel as a short /e/ or /eɪ/ in the second syllable. Another error is articulating the final /n/ with a strong vowel (straighten-uh) instead of a reduced /ən/. To correct: keep primary stress on /streɪ/ and reduce the final syllable to /ən/, ensuring the tongue clears the alveolar ridge for a clean /t/ release before the vowel. Practice with a slow tempo and emphasized syllable boundary.
In US, UK, and AU, the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality. The initial /streɪ/ remains similar, with /eɪ/ as a diphthong. In rhotic accents, /r/ is not present in the coda, so the /tən/ segment flows with a less pronounced post-vocalic /r/. In non-rhotic variants, linking to the next word may reduce the /n/ into a nasal cluster. Australian English tends to be non-rhotic with slightly shorter /eɪ/ and a relaxed /t/; you may hear a lighter, glottalized /t/ in some speakers. Overall, the core /streɪ/ and final /ən/ remain stable; the differences are subtle, mostly in fluency and linking.
Key challenges include the two-consonant sequence /tən/ after a stressed syllable, which can blur into /tn/ or /dən/ if spoken quickly. The /t/ is a voiceless alveolar stop that can be unreleased in rapid speech, and the ending /ən/ reduces to a schwa-nucleus, which can be mispronounced as /ən/ or /n/ without vowel. Additionally, the diphthong /eɪ/ in /streɪ/ requires precise tongue height and backness to avoid a mispronounced /e/ or /ai/. Practicing slow, deliberate articulation with clear /t/ release and a reduced final vowel helps steady pronunciation.
Yes—two notes: first, the stress pattern is fixed on the first syllable, unlike some verbs that shift stress in derived forms. Second, in connected speech, the /t/ can be released or unreleased depending on speed; in careful speech, you’ll hear a distinct /t/ before the final /ən/. This word also often appears in phrasal contexts like 'straighten out,' where the final /t/ connects to the /aʊ/ or the next word via linking, changing the perceived boundary.
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Straighten derives from the compound of straight, meaning not curved or bent, with the verb suffix -en, which means to make or become. The word straight (Old English streht/stræht) has Germanic roots linked to the Proto-Germanic *straktaz* (to stretch out) and Proto-Indo-European *str-o-*, involving the sense of extending or aligning. The suffix -en appears in Middle English to form verbs indicating cause to become or to act in a certain way. Over time, straightening has acquired specialized uses across contexts—from physical posture (straighten your spine) to mechanical alignment (straighten a surface). First records of the sense “to make straight” appear in early modern English writings, with broader adoption in technical and everyday language as printing, tailoring, and engineering demanded precise alignment. The evolution reflects a shift from literal bending and straight lines to the notion of correcting misalignment in objects, bodies, or procedures. In contemporary usage, straighten carries both physical and figurative meanings (straighten out a problem, straighten a plan) that emphasize restoring order and proper alignment.
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Words that rhyme with "straighten"
-ain sounds
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