SUHN-reyez
/ˈsʌˌnɹaɪz/
sunrise is pronounced SUHN-reyez (/ˈsʌˌnɹaɪz/). Sunrise refers to the daily moment when the Sun appears above the horizon, signaling the start of daytime. It is typically observed as a gradual brightening of the sky and often carries symbolic meanings of renewal and new beginnings. The term combines sun with rise, emphasizing the transition from night to daylight. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words).
Sunrise refers to the daily moment when the Sun appears above the horizon, signaling the start of daytime. It is typically observed as a gradual brightening of the sky and often carries symbolic meanings of renewal and new beginnings. The term combines sun with rise, emphasizing the transition from night to daylight. (2-4 sentences, ~60 words)
- Mistake 1: Slurring the transition between sun (/sʌn/) and rise (/raɪz/), leading to a blurred boundary. Correction: pause minimally, ensure the /n/ completes before starting /r/, keep the tongue low for /s/ and crisp for /r/. - Mistake 2: Devoicing the final /z/ or turning it into /s/. Correction: keep vocal fold vibration; imagine finishing with a light voiced buzz as in z. - Mistake 3: Over-lengthening either syllable; speak with even timing; don’t stretch sun too long or rush rise; aim for two distinct syllables with natural stress pattern (SUN-rise).
"We woke early to catch the sunrise over the mountains."
"The dawn chorus accompanies the sunrise with birdsong."
"From the hilltop, the sunrise painted the valley in warm golds."
Sunrise is pronounced /ˈsʌnˌraɪz/ in US, UK, and AU varieties. Primary stress is on the first syllable sun- /sʌn/, with a secondary stress or prominent onset on -rise /raɪz/ when enunciated slowly. Start with a relaxed mouth for /s/ and /ʌ/, then move to a clear /n/ at the end of sun, followed by /r/ with a slight hook of the tongue, and finish with the /aɪ/ glide into /z/. Make sure the final /z/ is voiced, not devoiced. Audio examples: try an online dictionary or pronunciation tool to hear it in context.
Common mistakes include turning /ˈsʌn/ into /ˈsiːn/ or slurring the /r/ into a vowel; another is pronouncing /raɪz/ with a hard /s/ or without the diphthong clarity. To correct: keep sun as a short, clipped /sʌn/ with a relaxed jaw, then begin /raɪz/ with a clear /r/ followed by the /aɪ/ glide and end with a voiced /z/. Ensure the z is not devoiced or replaced with /s/; keep voice on the final consonant.
In all three accents, /ˈsʌn/ is stable. The /raɪz/ portion remains a diphthong with /aɪ/. US speakers may have a slightly more rhotic /ɹ/ linkage before the vowel and a tighter /ɪ/ or /ɪər/ effect in some regions, while UK speakers often reduce vowel length slightly and may have a crisper /r/ in rhotic accents or a flapped /ɹ/ in some dialects. Australian English tends to be more centralized and may show a more open /ɐ/ in the /ʌ/ portion in fast speech. Overall, the main differences are in rhoticity, vowel quality, and timing, not in the basic phonemes.
The difficulty lies in the quick transition from a closed syllable sun (/sʌn/) to the high front vowel diphthong /aɪ/ and the voiced final /z/. Coordinating the tongue shape for /s/ and /r/ in rapid succession and maintaining a clean final /z/ without adding vowel or turning it into /ɪz/ can be tricky. Also, the contrast between the short, clipped sun and the longer, gliding rise requires precise stress and timing: Sun- is lightly stressed, while -rise carries the main syllable weight.
A unique feature is the clear division between the closed /sʌn/ and the high-front diphthong /raɪz/, with the most perceptible cue being the /r/ onset in /raɪz/ and the voiced final /z/. The two-syllable structure totalizes a deliberate rise in pitch across the word: you’ll likely feel your jaw move more for the /ɹ/ and the /aɪ/ glide, and you’ll hear the voiced /z/ clearly when spoken at normal speed. This combination distinguishes sunrise from single-syllable time words.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "sunrise"!
Sunrise comes from the combination of sun + rise, forming a compound noun in Middle English that described the moment the sun rises. The concept is universal across languages, often expressed as a horizon-based event tied to dawn. The word sun derives from Old English sunne, cognate with Proto-Germanic sunno-, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sóhwi-. Rise comes from Old English risan (to rise), with Proto-Germanic roots *rísan. Over time, sunrise established itself as a fixed term for the morning occurrence, supplementing broader dawn imagery (dawn, daybreak) and strengthening its association with renewal and beginnings. The earliest written attestations appear in Middle English herbals and travel writings, clarifying its practical use in daily life and literature as a natural event rather than a mythic motif. In modern English, sunrise is a stable, uninflected noun used across speech and writing to denote the specific moment of the sun’s first appearance, often used in photography, meteorology, and travel contexts.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "sunrise" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "sunrise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "sunrise" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "sunrise"
-ise sounds
-ies sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
