2 syllables: Sweat, shirt. Stress on Sweat.
SWECH-urt
/ˈswɛˌtʃɝt/
Sweatshirt is pronounced SWECH-urt (/ˈswɛˌtʃɝt/). It has two syllables (Sweat-shirt), with the stress on "Sweat". As a noun, a garment worn on the upper body, typically made of soft, thick fabric with long sleeves and a snug or relaxed fit. It is designed for warmth and casual wear, often featuring a hood but sometimes hoodless. The word denotes a specific clothing item familiar in American and British wardrobes. 2-4 sentences, 50-80 words max.
nounA garment worn on the upper body, typically made of soft, thick fabric with long sleeves and a snug or relaxed fit. It is designed for warmth and casual wear, often featuring a hood but sometimes hoodless. The word denotes a specific clothing item familiar in American and British wardrobes. 2-4 sentences, 50-80 words max.
"She pulled on a gray sweatshirt to keep warm during the chilly morning hike."
"The college bookstore sold branded sweatshirts with the team logo."
"He wore a faded sweatshirt and jeans to the casual dinner."
Pronounce as /ˈswɛtˌʃɜːrt/ (US) or /ˈswetˌʃɜːt/ (UK). Primary stress on SWEAT, secondary on SHIRT. Start with /sw/ using a rounded lip position, then /ɛ/ as in bed, /t/ with tongue tip on the alveolar ridge, glide into /ʃ/ for SH, then /ɜːr/ in non-rhotic accents where the r is less pronounced, final /t/ release. IPA and mouth positions mirror: /ˈswɛt/ + /ˌʃɜːrt/.
Common errors: dropping the /t/ in /swɛt/ leading to /ˈswɛʃɜːt/ or confusing /tʃ/ with /t/ during transition; misplacing stress by saying SWEATshirt with misplaced emphasis on shirt. Correction tips: ensure full /t/ release after /ɛ/ before moving to /ʃ/; keep stress on the first syllable, not on the second part; practice the /ʃɜːr/ cluster smoothly, avoiding an elongated /ɜːr/ into a separate syllable.
US tends to rhotically pronounce /ɜːr/ as /ɜːɹ/ in connected speech, with clear /r/. UK often uses non-rhotic /-t/ or weaker post-vocalic /ɜː/ and less pronounced /r/; you may hear /ˈswet.ʃɜːt/ with rounded vowels. Australian English typically has non-rhotic tendencies and vowel quality closer to /ˈswetˌʃɜːt/ with a flatter /ɜː/ and strong /t/ release. Focus on /ˈswɛt/ onset in all accents; tailing /ʃɜːt/ varies by rhoticity.
Difficulties stem from the /sw/ onset blending into /ɛ/ and the /t/ release into the /ʃ/ sound, creating a rapid cluster /tʃ/ that many learners misarticulate as /tʃ/ instead of /t/ plus /ʃ/. The /ɜːr/ in /ʃɜːrt/ challenges non-native speakers due to vowel height and r-lessness in some dialects. Also, the /t/ in /tɜːr/ may be unreleased in faster speech, making the word sound like /ˈswɛtʃɜː/.
Sweatshirt uniquely features a strong /w/ onset after /s/ in /ˈswɛt/. The transition from /ɛ/ to /t/ to /ʃ/ creates a precise movement: tip of the tongue to alveolar ridge for /t/, then blade for /ʃ/. Paying attention to the subtle duration of /ɛ/ before the /t/ helps prevent a clipped or overly long /t/ and avoids merging into /tʃ/.
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Sweatshirt derives from the combination of sweat and shirt, reflecting its original design as a shirt intended to wick or absorb sweat during physical activity. The term appears in American English in the early 20th century, paralleling the rise of athletic and leisure wear. Sweat + shirt evokes the garment’s functional purpose as a warm top made of heavy cotton fleece or knit. Early sweatshirts were simple, collarless pullovers worn by laborers and athletes, evolving through mass production to include hoodies and branded variants. The word solidified as a distinct lexical item by the mid-1900s, with popularity surging as sportswear entered mainstream fashion. By the late 20th century, sweatshirts became a staple casual garment, available in multiple styles, colors, and logos, while the basic semantic core—“a shirt for sweating” due to warmth and activity—remains recognizable in modern usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Sweatshirt" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Sweatshirt"
-irt sounds
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