Table is a common, four-legged furniture piece with a flat top used for eating, working, or placing objects. It functions as a surface in homes, offices, and public spaces, and can be portable or fixed. The word also appears in phrases like 'periodic table' or 'periodic table of elements' in scientific contexts.
"We ate dinner at the kitchen table."
"Please set the documents on the table while I fetch the chair."
"The conference table can seat twelve people."
"In the periodic table, elements are arranged by atomic number."
Table comes from Old French table, from Latin tabula meaning a board, plank, or flat surface. The Latin tabula referred to a plank or tablet used for cutting or writing, evolving into the medieval sense of a flat surface for dining. The word entered Middle English via Old French during the 13th century, retaining the notion of a flat surface with a support or frame. Over time, the semantic field broadened to include furniture designed as a raised surface with legs, suitable for activities like eating, writing, or placing objects. The core imagery is a flat horizontal surface supported by legs or a pedestal, contrasted with vertical or vertical-like supports beneath. By the 16th–17th centuries, 'table' also began to appear in mathematical and scientific contexts (e.g., tables of data), reinforcing its broader meaning as a structured, organized flat surface used for arrangement and reference. The modern usage encompasses furniture and data tabulation alike, underscoring the central metaphor of a flat, accessible surface. First known use in English inscribed the furniture sense by the late Middle English period, following adoption from French, with earlier Latin roots indicating the notion of a plane or surface suitable for sitting and placing items.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "table" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "table" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "table"
-ble sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You pronounce it as two syllables: /ˈteɪ.bəl/. The first syllable has primary stress (TEI) and the vowel is a long 'a' as in 'say'. The second syllable uses a schwa 'ə' in most accents, with a light 'l' at the end. Tip: start with a clear 'teɪ' then glide into a soft 'bəl' with a relaxed lip and tongue near the alveolar ridge. Audio references: standard pronunciations on Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries show /ˈteɪ.bəl/.
Common errors include turning the final 'ble' into a hard 'bul' sound or pronouncing the second syllable as a full vowel, like 'teɪ-bul' with a stressed second syllable. Another mistake is dropping the 't' entirely or making the initial 't' too soft. Correction: maintain primary stress on the first syllable, use a quick, light 'b' before the schwa to land 'bəl'. Practice with minimal pairs like 'table' vs 'stable' to feel the difference in onset and coda.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial 'ta' remains /teɪ/ with similar long 'a'. The rhotics differ: all three are non-rhotic in some UK dialects, leading to a non-rhotic ending; US tends to a clearer /l/ with more vowel length variety. AU accents often resemble UK slightly but can be influenced by rhoticity in some regions. The final /əl/ tends to be a quick, light schwa + l. Overall, the primary differences are subtle vowel quality and the degree of rhoticity and vowel reduction.
The word combines a stressed front vowel /eɪ/ with a coda /l/ after a /t/ onset cluster, which can tempt learners to insert extra vowel or misplace the tongue. The final /əl/ sequence requires a controlled release, avoiding a strong 'bul' or 'bəl'—keep it light and quick. The challenge is achieving the clean /teɪ/ onset and the delicate schwa before the final /l/, especially when speaking quickly.
Yes, the 't' is pronounced as a soft, alveolar stop /t/ transitioning quickly into the /eɪ/ vowel. In many dialects, especially US and AU, the /t/ can be released clearly or as a flap in rapid speech, but in careful speech you’ll hear a crisp /t/ onset before the vowel. Don’t skip the /t/—it helps establish the two-syllable rhythm.
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