tahr
/tɑɹ/
tar is pronounced tahr (/tɑɹ/). Tar is a dark, thick substance derived from the distillation of coal, wood, or petroleum. In everyday English, the word also functions as the verb phrase to tar someone (with accusations or blame) and as a one-syllable noun referring to the substance used to waterproof roofs and roads. The core meaning centers on a sticky, viscous hydrocarbon material and its metaphorical usage in phrases like 'tar and feather' or 'tarred with the same brush.'.
Tar is a dark, thick substance derived from the distillation of coal, wood, or petroleum. In everyday English, the word also functions as the verb phrase to tar someone (with accusations or blame) and as a one-syllable noun referring to the substance used to waterproof roofs and roads. The core meaning centers on a sticky, viscous hydrocarbon material and its metaphorical usage in phrases like 'tar and feather' or 'tarred with the same brush.'
"The road crew laid down fresh tar to seal the pavement."
"Historical sentences often refer to coal tar or pine tar used in traditional waterproofing."
"Workers wore masks as they handled tar, which can irritate the skin."
Tar is pronounced with a one-syllable, open-back vowel like IPA /tɑr/ in US, and /tɑː/ or /tɑːr/ in UK/AU depending on rhoticity and vowel length. Start with a light breath, touch your tongue to the bottom of the mouth behind the teeth, then release with a strong, single r-colored vowel. For US listeners, you’ll hear the rhotic element softly at the end; UK/AU tend toward a longer, pure /ɑː/ vowel. IPA: US /tɑɹ/, UK /tɑː/ or /tɑːɹ/; AU /tɑːɹ/.
Common mistakes: (1) Slurring the vowel to a schwa or a shorter /æ/; (2) Mispronouncing the final /r/ in non-rhotic accents; (3) Over-lengthening the vowel in American speech. Correction: keep a single, pure low back vowel [ɑ] and finish with a crisp, non-rolled /ɹ/ in rhotic varieties; in non-rhotic speakers, avoid adding a post-vocalic /ɹ/ and close with a clear /ɑː/ or paused /ɑː/ depending on dialect.
In US English, tar generally uses a rhotic, r-colored vowel /tɑɹ/ with a dark, short /ɹ/ following the vowel. In UK English, many speakers are non-rhotic and may realize it as /tɑː/ or a lengthened /ɑː/ with no /ɹ at the end. Australian English tends to be rhotic but with a broader, longer /ɑː/ vowel and a non-phonemic /ɹ/ release in many dialects. IPA references: US /tɑɹ/, UK /tɑː/, AU /tɑːɹ/ (varies by speaker).
The difficulty centers on mastering the low back vowel vs. a lengthened vowel in some dialects and the precise /ɹ/ or its absence. The vowel height and backness must be maintained without slidings into [æ] or [ɔ], and the final r-colored or trailing r in rhotic accents must be crisp but not excessive. For learners, focus on keeping the tongue low and back, with a compact lip rounding and a controlled release into the /ɹ/ or silence of non-rhotic variants.
Tar has one stressed syllable by default (the entire word); there are no silent letters. The letter 'a' represents the low back vowel /ɑ/ or /ɑː/ depending on dialect. The challenge is maintaining a sharp, compact mouth position for a one-syllable word while not veering into a lax vowel. In connected speech, you may hear slight vowel reduction when spoken quickly, but careful speakers maintain the full low back vowel to avoid confusion with sounds like 'tore' or 'tare' in some dialects.
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Tar originates from the Old English term teoru or tar, meaning resin or pitch, from Germanic roots related to taro- and tarjan in Proto-Germanic. The word broadened in Middle English to denote any sticky, viscous substance, particularly the dark residues produced by the distillation of coal, wood, or petroleum. By the 17th century, tar had strong industrial and maritime associations, used in shipbuilding, waterproofing, and roofing. The term also entered technical vocabulary in chemistry and materials science to describe specific hydrocarbon mixtures. The phrase tarred with the same brush, meaning to be equally guilty or stained by reputations, appears in 19th-century idioms and has persisted into modern usage. Across dialects, tar has taken on metaphorical hues—tar as a heater, tar in flowers’ resin-like quality, and as a general, sticky residue—while maintaining its primary identity as a viscous, black substance linked with waterproofing and protection. First known written usage appears in Middle English texts, with clear references to resinous, sticky substances used in building, maintenance, and protection of ships and roofs.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "tar" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "tar"
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