TEL-uh-gramz
/ˈtɛləˌɡɹæmz/
telegrams is pronounced TEL-uh-gramz (/ˈtɛləˌɡɹæmz/). Telegrams refers to messages sent via telegrams, a historic form of communication using coded electrical signals. The plural form indicates multiple telegram messages. In modern usage, the term is largely archaic, but it remains a relevant historical reference or stylistic choice in writing and speech. The word emphasizes speed and formal, terse conveyance of information.
Telegrams refers to messages sent via telegrams, a historic form of communication using coded electrical signals. The plural form indicates multiple telegram messages. In modern usage, the term is largely archaic, but it remains a relevant historical reference or stylistic choice in writing and speech. The word emphasizes speed and formal, terse conveyance of information.
"I found several old telegrams from the 1920s in the attic."
"The museum displayed a collection of telegrams detailing the rescue operation."
"She wrote telegrams to family members after hearing the news."
Stress falls on the first syllable: TEH-lee-grams. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræmz/. Start with a clear /ˈt/ and keep the tongue high for the first vowel sound /ˈeɪ/ or /ˈɛ/ depending on speaker, then a light schwa in the second syllable /ˌlɪ/ before a crisp /ɡræmz/ with /ɡ/ as a hard stop. In connected speech, the middle vowel may be reduced slightly, but the primary stress remains steady: /ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræmz/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (e.g., TE-le-grams or tele-GRAMS), mispronouncing the middle vowel as /i/ or /iː/ instead of /ɪ/, and softening /ɡ/ into /dʒ/ or slurring /ɡræmz/ into /ɹæmz/. Correction: keep the first syllable strong /ˈtel/ with a short, crisp /e/ vowel, articulate /lɪ/ clearly, and end with /ɡræmz/ with a hard /g/ and definitive /z/ or /z/ sound at the end in fluent speech. Practice crispness between segments.
US/UK/AU share /ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræmz/ but rhoticity affects the r-coloring in some connected speech? US rhotic tends to pronounce the /r/ only in syllable boundaries, while non-rhotic UK may have subtle /ɹ/ coalescence before vowels. Australian tends to be closer to General American with less vowel reduction in careful speech. The main day-to-day variance is vowel length and intonation patterns rather than a different phoneme inventory.
The challenge lies in tight consonant clusters and the transition from /l/ to /ɡ/ to /ræmz/ quickly. The /ˈtel/ needs a clean, tense vowel before the /l/; then you move smoothly to /ɪ/ and then a sudden /ɡ/ followed by /ræmz/. Maintaining the crisp /t/ and the final /z/ or /z/? depends on following sound. Also, the plural -s can voice as /z/ in fluent speech, which can alter the ending sound if not careful.
The word’s plural form may carry subtle stress change in larger phrases; you’ll hear a slight upshift in pitch on the first syllable, with the final /z/ or /z/ depending on following word. Breathing and pace also impact clarity: avoid rushing the /ɡræmz/ cluster; instead, hold the /ɡ/ briefly for a clean transition into /ræmz/.
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US: rhotic, crisp /ɹ/ and clearer /æ/; UK: non-rhotic, potentially shorter /æ/ and more clipped /t/, /l/; AU: tends toward American-like vowel preferences, slight diphthong differences. Vowel: /e/ or /ɪ/ in second syllable fluctuates with vowel reduction; keep /ˈtel/ stable. Consonants: keep /t/ aspirated, /l/ clear, /ɡ/ hard, /z/ voiced, while connecting to following word with slight liaison. IPA references: US /ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræmz/, UK /ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræmz/, AU /ˈtel.ɪ.ɡræmz/.
Telegrams originated in the 19th century with the advent of electrical telegraph systems. The term derives from the Greek prefix tele- meaning “far” and the French word télégramme, itself from Greek tele- plus gramma meaning “letter” or “written thing.” The first practical telegraph systems emerged in the early 1800s, with Samuel Morse’s code popularized in the United States. Telegrams as a service were widely used for rapid long-distance written communication well into the 20th century, especially in official or urgent contexts. The plural form telegrams simply combines the singular telegram with the standard plural -s, retaining its meaning from the era when telegrams were commonly sent to convey brief messages. Over time, the word has shifted from a common everyday term to a historical or literary reference, sometimes appearing in phrases like “telegram of condolence” or “telegram notice.” This evolution reflects broader changes in communication technology, from telegraphs to telephones to digital messaging, while preserving the word in language to evoke a specific era or tone.
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Words that rhyme with "telegrams"
-ams sounds
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