temp
/tɛmp/
temp is pronounced temp (/tɛmp/). Temp is a clipped, informal abbreviation primarily used in professional and casual writing to mean temperature or temporary/temporary employee, depending on context. It functions as a stand-alone noun or modifier, often appearing in technical notes, schedules, or colloquial communication. In spoken form, it’s typically unstressed and quick, reflecting its status as a shortened term in native usage.
Temp is a clipped, informal abbreviation primarily used in professional and casual writing to mean temperature or temporary/temporary employee, depending on context. It functions as a stand-alone noun or modifier, often appearing in technical notes, schedules, or colloquial communication. In spoken form, it’s typically unstressed and quick, reflecting its status as a shortened term in native usage.
"Thermostat readings show the temp dropping rapidly overnight."
"We’ll bring in a temp to cover the busy season."
"Set the oven to the correct temp for the recipe."
Pronounce temp as /tɛm(p)/ in most contexts. The vowel is a short, open-fronted /ɛ/ like “bet,” and the final /p/ is unreleased when speech is rapid or followed by a consonant in connected speech. Stress is on the only syllable. In US/UK/AU, you’ll hear a crisp /t/ closure at the onset and a light, almost silent optional /p/ release in fast talk. IPA: US/UK/AU /tɛm(p)/. Audio reference: you can check conventional dictionaries or pronunciation platforms for the exact audio example.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the final /p/ and ending with /tem/; correct by adding a brief puff of air to release the /p/. 2) Using a lax vowel like /æ/ as in 'tamper' or 'tamp'; ensure you use /ɛ/ as in 'bet'. 3) Over-articulating the /t/ leading to a staccato burst; practice a light, unreleased or lightly released /t/ depending on speech pace. Aim for /tɛm(p)/ with a short, controlled /p/ release when fully enunciated.
US: crisp /t/ with short /ɛ/ and a clear /p/ release in careful speech; most casual use may end with a small aspirated release. UK: similar pattern, possibly t-glottalization less common in careful speech but can appear in rapid speech; AU: tends toward similar /tɛm/ with lighter final release in quick speech. All three share rhotic differences elsewhere, but temp remains near /tɛm(p)/ with minimal rhotic influence since it’s a non-rhotic syllable core.
The difficulty lies in the final consonant cluster: the /p/ release can be unreleased or lightly released in fast speech, which can blur the boundary between /m/ and /p/ for some speakers. The preceding /ɛm/ vowel must stay pure without discomfort or drift toward /æ/. In quick contexts, listeners sometimes hear /tem/ without the final /p/ due to voiceless stop aspiration blending with adjacent sounds. Mastery comes from controlled tongue-tip closure for /t/ and a precise lip seal for /p/ release.
Temp is a monosyllable with primary stress on the single syllable by default. The challenge is not stress placement but ensuring a clean stop on /t/ and a crisp, audible but brief /p/ release in careful speech. In connected speech, you may hear a lightly aspirated or unreleased /p/; in careful articulation, maintain a clear /p/ release to prevent confusion with /tem/ or /tɛm/ variants.
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Temp is a clipped form of temperature or temporary, dating from the early modern period as English increasingly adopted abbreviations in technical and professional writing. The word temperature comes from Latin temperatura, from temperare meaning to mix or regulate, extended to describe the measurable hot and cold condition. Temporary derives from Latin temporarius, from tempus meaning time. In practice, temp emerged in the 20th century as a convenient shorthand in engineering, meteorology, and business contexts where space-saving annotations mattered. By mid-century, temp was common in scientific notes and factory logs to denote temperature, with further specialization to mean a temporary employee in HR lexicons. Modern usage sees temp widely as a lexicalized abbreviation across fields, often interpreted from context as temperature, temporary status, or temporary worker depending on the sentence structure and accompanying words. First known print attestations appear in technical manuals and internal memos from the early 1900s onward, gradually proliferating in digital communication as shorthand became standard in informal writing and chat slang, before becoming ubiquitous in professional shorthand also used in emails and notes.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "temp" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "temp" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "temp"
-mpt sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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