SUHK-ur
/ˈsʌkɚ/
sucker is pronounced SUHK-ur (/ˈsʌkɚ/). Sucker is a noun or verb referring to someone who is easily deceived or charmed, or to a device that draws in or holds to a surface. In everyday speech it often carries a slightly informal or humorous tone, and can describe a person, object, or action (as in sucker punch or a literal suction device). Core sense centers on attraction and vulnerability or suction.
Sucker is a noun or verb referring to someone who is easily deceived or charmed, or to a device that draws in or holds to a surface. In everyday speech it often carries a slightly informal or humorous tone, and can describe a person, object, or action (as in sucker punch or a literal suction device). Core sense centers on attraction and vulnerability or suction.
- Common mistakes: 1) Weak first syllable: /sə.kər/ instead of /ˈsʌ.kər/ — fix by opening the mouth for /ʌ/ and stressing the first syllable. 2) Slurring the /k/ into the following vowel: /sʌ.kər/ with a soft /k/ can create /sʌkər/; ensure a crisp, audible /k/ release before the vowel. 3) Second syllable vowel length: reduce too much to /ə/ or stretch to /ɜː/; practice with a quick, light /ə/ and short /ɹ/ or no /ɹ/ depending on accent.
"She bought the fake watch—what a sucker for falling for that scam."
"That vending machine is a real sucker; the candy sticks to the door and won’t come out."
"Don’t be a sucker; think it through before you sign the contract."
You pronounce it as /ˈsʌ.kər/ in many accents. In US English, the first syllable is stressed and the second often reduces to a schwa, sounding like ‘SUK-ər.’ In careful speech, you’d keep the /k/ clearly released: /ˈsʌ.kɚ/. For UK listeners, expect /ˈsʌ.kə/ with a slightly shorter second vowel and less rhoticity in non-rhotic varieties. Keep the mouth relaxed but with a firm /k/ release and a clear, quick, light /ə/ in the second syllable.
Common mistakes include reducing the first syllable to a weak /sə/ or misplacing stress on the second syllable. Some speakers also distort the second syllable to a full vowel like /ɜː/ or omit the /r/ in non-rhotic UK speech. Correct by keeping primary stress on the first syllable /ˈsʌ/ and using a short, lax /ə/ for the second syllable. Ensure the /k/ is released crisply, not palatalized toward /t/ or /g/.
In US English, /ˈsʌ.kɚ/ with rhotic /ɹ/; the second syllable resembles a schwa plus r. In RP (UK), many speakers reduce the second syllable to /ə/ and may drop the rhotic /ɹ/, yielding /ˈsʌ.kə/. Australian English tends to be rhotic too, with a careful /kə/ and a possibly more centralized vowel in the second syllable; some speakers show a slightly longer vowel in the first syllable, pushing toward /ˈsʌː.kə/.
The difficulty often lies in the reduction of the second syllable to a quick, neutral vowel and, for non-native speakers, producing the proper final /ɹ/ in rhotic accents or the absence of it in non-rhotic ones. Additionally, the contrast between /ʌ/ in the first syllable and a reduced /ə/ in the second can be tricky when blending with a fast speech rate. Mastery requires practicing the exact tongue position for /s/ + /ʌ/ together, followed by a crisp velar stop /k/ and a light, post-alveolar /ɹ/ or its absence.
A distinctive feature is the alveolar stop /t/ not involved; the key is the crisp /k/ release right before the final schwa or syllabic /ɚ/ depending on accent. In careful speech you’ll notice a subtle linking between the /k/ and the trailing vowel, which differs across dialects: US often has a more pronounced rhotic ending, UK lighter or non-rhotic endings, and AU falls somewhere in between with moderate rhoticity and vowel centralization.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ at the end; maintain a compact tongue rounded for /ɹ/. UK: non-rhotic or weak rhotic; second syllable /ə/ with minimal r-color; AU: often rhotic but with less vowel height contrast; keep /ə/ short and light and /ɹ/ optional. Use IPA references to drill the contrast: /ˈsʌ.kɚ/ (US) vs /ˈsʌ.kə/ (UK).
Sucker derives from the early modern English sense of ‘to suck’ from the verb suck. The noun form emerged in the 16th–17th centuries, initially referring to something that sucks or draws liquid, as in a device or tool. By the 18th century, the figurative sense of a person who is easily deceived or persuaded began to appear in slang and colloquial speech, especially in North American English. The term has many colloquial uses, including ‘sucker punch’ (a blow to the unsuspecting) and ‘sucker’ as a term of endearment or teasing among friends, though the latter can carry an insult depending on tone. Its morphology is simple: the -er suffix forms an agent noun from suck. First known written uses surface in dictionaries of the 1700s, with earlier orally recorded forms appearing in regional slang, reflecting social attitudes toward gullibility and vulnerability. Today, sucker remains common in informal language, with occasional regional phonetic variations affecting its pronunciation and vowel quality.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "sucker" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "sucker" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "sucker"
-ker sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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