uhn-uh-TAY-nuh-buhl
/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl/
unattainable is pronounced uhn-uh-TAY-nuh-buhl (/ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbəl/). Unattainable describes something that cannot be achieved or reached. It implies a goal, standard, or outcome that is beyond reach due to limitations or insurmountable obstacles. The term often signals idealism or persistent difficulty in accomplishment, used in formal or analytic contexts.
Unattainable describes something that cannot be achieved or reached. It implies a goal, standard, or outcome that is beyond reach due to limitations or insurmountable obstacles. The term often signals idealism or persistent difficulty in accomplishment, used in formal or analytic contexts.
"Her fitness goal seemed unattainable after the long layoff, but she slowly rebuilt her strength."
"The company’s dream of net-zero by 2030 appeared unattainable given current infrastructure."
"For many students, perfect fluency can feel unattainable, yet steady practice leads to meaningful progress."
Pronounce as /ˌənəˈteɪnəbəl/ (US) or /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəb(ə)l/ (UK). The primary stress is on the second syllable -teɪ-; break it as un-a-TAIN-a-ble. Start with a light schwa + n, then a clear TEY sound, then a schwa and the -nə- or -nəb- sequence, ending with -əl. Listen for the three-syllable rhythm and the long A in -tain-; ensure the final -ble is weakly pronounced.
Common errors: (1) Stress on the wrong syllable, saying un-TAIN-uh-bul; correct by marking stress on -TAIN- and using a light final -er/ble. (2) Slurring the -tain- to /teɪn/ without the initial schwa; keep /təˈteɪn/ with clear schwa first syllable. (3) Mispronouncing the final -able as -able with full syllables; reduce to -əbəl, so /əbəl/. Practice by isolating the middle /teɪn/ and the ending /əbəl/.
US: /ˌənəˈteɪnəbəl/ with full rhotic r-contexts elsewhere; UK: /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəb(ə)l/ with a more clipped /ə/ in the second syllable and a light final /əl/. AU: similar to UK, often with slightly broader vowel qualities and more pronounced final schwa in connected speech. The central vowels are consistent; main difference is vowel length and intonation—US may show a later, flatter falling intonation; UK/AU may exhibit sharper perception of -tain- vowel as /eɪ/. Keep the main stress on -TAIN- in all accents.
Key challenges: the sequence un-a-TAIN-a-ble places primary stress on the diphthong /eɪ/ within a mid-tall syllable, while the initial /ə/ or /ən/ reduces; the final -able has a weak, unstressed /əbəl/. The combination of a long vowel /eɪ/ and the rapid -nə-/-nəb- transition in a three-syllable word demands precise articulatory timing; practice with slow tempo, then speed up. Lip and jaw positioning should create a clean /təˈteɪnəb(ə)l/ rhythm.
The unique aspect is the central placement of -tain- with a clear diphthong /eɪ/ and a subsequent reduced syllable -ə- in a three-syllable word. Unlike many compounds, the prefix un- does not reduce drastically; the sequence requires a tight transition from /ə/ to /ˈteɪ/ to /nə/ or /nəb/. Paying attention to the subtle second syllable vowel length and the final weak -əl makes it sound natural.
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US: rhotic, fuller r-coloring around surrounding words; UK: non-rhotic, /r/ not pronounced except before vowels; AU: similar to UK but with broader vowels. Vowel detail: /ə/ in first and third syllables, /eɪ/ in -tain-, and the final /əl/ or /əl/ with a light schwa prefix. Position lips rounded for /eɪ/ and slightly spread for /ə/; the -ble ending is weak, so avoid overemphasizing. Practice with IPA as reference: /ˌənəˈteɪnəbəl/ (US) vs /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəb(ə)l/ (UK), /ˌənəˈteɪnəbəl/ (AU).
Unattainable is built from the prefix un- (a negation) + attainable (capable of being achieved) with the classic -able suffix marking capability. Attainable itself derives from Old French attainir and Latin attainere, from ad- (toward) + tenere (to hold). The form attain, meaning to reach or accomplish, enters English from Middle English via Old French as atainer/atainer; its sense of reaching a goal or limit developed in the 14th–15th centuries. The negative prefix un- was affixed in Middle English to create the antonym unattainable, emphasizing the absence of feasibility. Over time, unattainable has retained its precise nuance in formal, analytic, and aspirational language, often signaling a boundary that is conceptually clear but not necessarily absolute, with modern usage frequently in motivational, strategic planning, or evaluative discourse. First known usage traces to scholarly or evaluative writing in late 19th to early 20th century English, though the components appear earlier in legal, philosophical, and literary texts where limits, ideals, or thresholds are discussed. The word’s stability reflects a consistent semantic frame: something that cannot be reached given current methods, conditions, or constraints, rather than something merely difficult for a short period. In contemporary prose, unattainable remains a strong qualitative assessment rather than a statement of impossibility in absolute terms, and is often paired with context about feasibility, trade-offs, and alternative goals.
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Words that rhyme with "unattainable"
-ble sounds
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