2 syllables: Tooth, paste. Stress on Tooth.
TOOTH-payst
/ˈtuˌθpeɪst/
Toothpaste is pronounced TOOTH-payst (/ˈtuˌθpeɪst/). It has two syllables (Tooth-paste), with the stress on "Tooth". Toothpaste is a viscous, mint-flavored dental preparation used with a toothbrush to clean teeth, remove plaque, and freshen breath. It typically contains abrasives, fluoride, humectants, and detergents. In everyday speech, it refers to the product itself or a tube of paste for dental hygiene.
nounToothpaste is a viscous, mint-flavored dental preparation used with a toothbrush to clean teeth, remove plaque, and freshen breath. It typically contains abrasives, fluoride, humectants, and detergents. In everyday speech, it refers to the product itself or a tube of paste for dental hygiene.
- You often mispronounce the initial /θ/ by substituting with /t/ or /s/. To fix: place the tip of your tongue gently between the upper and lower front teeth and push air out, making a voiceless dental fricative. - The /θ/ should seamlessly transition into the /peɪst/ portion; don’t tilt or linger on the /θ/. Use a clean, short release to the /p/ start. - The vowel in /tuː/ can be shortened; target a long /uː/ before /θ/ by keeping your jaw relaxed and lips rounded slightly. - In rapid speech, many speakers drop the /t/ in /st/. Train with slow drills, then practice with a two-syllable rhythm to ensure both consonants are audible.
"I buy toothpaste every month when I go grocery shopping."
"The dentist recommended a toothpaste with fluoride for cavity prevention."
"She squeezed a pea-sized amount of toothpaste onto the brush."
Pronounce as /ˈtuːθpeɪst/. The first syllable is stressed: /ˈtuː θˌ/ with the tongue tip on the upper front teeth for the /θ/ sound (voiceless dental fricative). The second syllable is /peɪst/ with a long /eɪ/ and a final /st/ cluster. Make sure the /t/ lands crisply and the /p/ is aspirated before the /eɪ/ vowel. Audio reference: [native pronunciation links include Pronounce and Forvo].
Common errors: 1) Replacing the /θ/ with /s/ or /t/ (tootspeed) or /f/ (toothpast). Correction: place the tongue gently between the upper and lower teeth and blow air for the /θ/ sound; keep air flowing without voice. 2) Dropping the /t/ in the coda (/st/ becomes /s/ or /t/ alone). Correction: articulate both /s/ and /t/ crisply, ending with a light burst. 3) Misplacing primary stress on the second syllable. Correction: maintain primary stress on the first syllable /ˈtuːθ/.
In US, the /ˈtuːθpeɪst/ retains strong /θ/ but may have a slightly quicker transition to /peɪst/. In UK, /ˈtuːθpeɪst/ is similar but may show subtle vowel quality differences in /uː/ and a less pronounced rhoticity in connected speech. In Australian English, expect a broad /uː/ with possible vowel lengthening and a very clear /t/ and /p/; non-rhotic tendencies appear in some speakers, but /t/ remains precise before /p/. All share the /θ/ dental fricative.
Two main challenges: the /θ/ dental fricative is unfamiliar to speakers whose L1 lacks it, and the /st/ cluster after a long vowel can blur into a simple /st/ or split the /t/ sound. The sequence /θ peɪst/ requires precise tongue placement and breath control. Also, sustaining the long /uː/ quality in /tuː/ before /θ/ demands careful lip posture. Practice per-phoneme awareness and slow articulation to master the transition.
A unique aspect is maintaining the dental fricative /θ/ with secure interdental contact while the mouth is pointed toward a comfortable, relaxed jaw position. You must avoid substituting /θ/ with /t/ or /s/ in rapid speech. Focusing on the precise tongue tip placement at the gum line and the edge of the upper teeth around /θ/ helps preserve clear, brand-consistent pronunciation in everyday use.
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- US: emphasize rhotic clarity only in connected speech; /ˈtuːθpeɪst/ keeps the /uː/ clear and closes with /st/. - UK: maintain precise dental fricative /θ/ with a slightly clipped /t/; vowel /uː/ tends to be a bit tenser and shorter before the /θ/. - AU: expect broader vowel quality for /uː/ and a crisp /t/; most speakers keep the /θ/ audible in rapid speech. Always monitor the /θ/ and ensure you don’t substitute with /f/ or /v/.
Toothpaste originates from the combination of tooth + paste. The English word ‘paste’ derives from Latin pasta via Old French pastaser, meaning a doughy substance, and is related to the Greek pastas ‘paste’ in some borrowed terms. The full compound tooth-paste appears in English around the 19th century as modern dentistry advanced and dentifrice formulations became standardized. Early tooth cleansers were powders or pastes mixed from abrasives like brick dust or chalk with soap and flavoring. As fluoride became widely adopted in the 20th century, commercially produced pastes incorporated fluoride compounds to aid in cavity prevention. The term has remained stable as the primary label for dentifrice used with a toothbrush, with variations in brand names and formulations (gel vs paste) following consumer preferences and dental recommendations.
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Help others use "Toothpaste" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Toothpaste" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Toothpaste" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Toothpaste"
-ste sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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