Tablet is a handheld, flat electronic device with a touchscreen display, typically larger than a phone but smaller than a laptop, used for computing, reading, and media consumption. It can also refer to a small, flat medicinal pill forms. In everyday use, it denotes consumer electronics rather than a medical tablet, though context can vary.
"I bought a new tablet to read comics and watch movies on the go."
"The doctor prescribed a coated tablet to be taken twice daily."
"During the flight, she used a drawing app on her tablet to pass the time."
"The tablet's battery lasts all day, even with heavy use."
Tablet comes from the Late Latin tabella, meaning a small board or engraved tablet, derived from Latin tarbus/tabletus, related to a writing surface. In English, tablet appeared in the 14th century referring to a small flat slab or plate. The sense shifted to medical tablets (pills) in the 18th–19th centuries, then later to electronic devices in the late 20th century as handheld, touchscreen slates grew in popularity. The modern sense relies on the metaphor of a flat, thin slab used for information consumption; the term echoes 'slate' or 'board' and preserves the tactile, portable connotation of a personal computing surface.
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Help others use "Tablet" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Tablet" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Tablet" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Tablet"
-let sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Tablet is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈtæb.lɪt/. Start with a clear /t/ followed by the short æ vowel as in cat, then a light /b/ and a quick, unstressed /lɪ/ before the final /t/. The primary stress is on the first syllable. Think: 'TAB-lit.' Audio reference: [listen for /ˈtæblɪt/ in reputable dictionaries or pronunciation sites].
Common errors include: 1) Slurring the /t/ at the end or starting the second syllable too strongly, making it sound like /ˈtæbɪt/ or /ˈtæblæt/. 2) Merging the /b/ and /l/ into a single consonant cluster, yielding /ˈtæblɪt/ but with reduced clarity. Correction: clearly separate /b/ and /l/ by a brief hold or light pause between them, and ensure the /l/ is light, not a vowel-like glide.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈtæb/ onset remains stable. The rhotic vs nonrhotic pattern affects only vowels in surrounding words; the word itself keeps /æ/ for the vowel in stressed syllable. US tends to have slightly flatter /æ/; UK may exhibit a marginally higher tongue position. Australian English is similar to UK but may sound broader; the final /t/ remains an aspirated or unreleased variant depending on speech rate. In careful speech, all share /ˈtæb.lɪt/ with minor consonant timing differences.
It's tricky due to the /æ/ vowel in stressed first syllable and the /t/ onset of the second syllable; many speakers reduce the middle /l/ or blend /bl/ into /bɫ/; also the final /t/ can be unreleased in fast speech. Practice focusing on a crisp /b/ followed by a light /l/ and a precise final /t/ to avoid a syllabic or swallowed closing sound.
Yes, in compounds the primary stress often shifts to the content word first in the compound: 'TAB-let com-PU-ter' if you're stressing the device term as the main noun, but when ‘tablet’ is part of a longer compound, you’ll still keep primary stress on /ˈtæb/ in the first word, while the second word carries its own stress. Listen for rhythm and emphasize the first syllable of tablet.
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