YOO-nit-er-ee
/ˈjunɪˌtɛɹi/
unitary is pronounced YOO-nit-er-ee (/ˈjunɪˌtɛɹi/). Unitary describes a single, indivisible whole or system, often implying a cohesive, centralized structure or authority. It can refer to political unions, mathematical concepts, or unified objects where parts function as one. In context, it emphasizes wholeness and unity rather than division or plurality.
Unitary describes a single, indivisible whole or system, often implying a cohesive, centralized structure or authority. It can refer to political unions, mathematical concepts, or unified objects where parts function as one. In context, it emphasizes wholeness and unity rather than division or plurality.
- Common Mistakes: • Overemphasizing the final syllable, making it /riː/ instead of a light /ri/; keep it quick and unstressed. • Shriveling the middle /tə/ into an overly strong vowel, producing /tæ/ or /tɔː/; aim for a relaxed schwa. • Misplacing stress by stressing the first syllable or the third; ensure primary stress on the second syllable. - Corrections: • Practice /juˈnɪ.tə.ri/ with a short, soft /tə/ and a clipped final /ri/. • Do mouth relaxation exercises before saying the word to keep vowels neutral and avoid tension. • Use rhythmic tapping: tap once on each syllable, then twice on the secondary, to internalize the cadence.
"The country adopted a unitary government, concentrating power in a central parliament."
"A unitary approach to the problem ensured consistency across all departments."
"In mathematics, a unitary matrix preserves length under complex conjugation."
You say /juˈnɪ.tə.ri/ in US/UK/AU varieties, with the primary stress on the second syllable: U-ni- tary. Start with a clear 'you' sound /juː/, then a short /ˈnɪ/ as the second syllable, a schwa-like /ə/ in the third, and finish with /ri/ or /riː/ depending on the speaker. Audio reference: you can hear this on Pronounce or Cambridge audio resources.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress, saying /juˈnɪ.tɛ.ɹi/ by stressing the third syllable; 2) Tensing the final syllable to /riː/ without the reduce schwa, making it sound artificial; 3) Prolonging the middle /ɪ/ to /ɪɪ/ or mispronouncing /tə/ as /təː/. Correction tips: keep stress on the second syllable, use a clipped /tə/, and end with a quick /ri/ with light jaw relaxation.
US tends to be /juˈnɪ.tə.ɹi/ with a rhotic /ɹ/ and a clear /ə/ in the third syllable. UK often shows /juˈnɪ.təri/ with a non-rhotic ending in careful speech, and /ˈjuː.nɪ.təri/ in some pronunciations; AU resembles UK but may have a slightly broader vowel in the first syllable and a more flapped or tapped /ɹ/ in relaxed speech. In all, stress on the second syllable remains consistent. IPA references: US /juˈnɪ.tə.ɹi/, UK /ˌjuː.nɪˈtɜː.ri/ or /ˈjuː.nɪ.tə.ri/, AU /ˈjuː.nɪ.tə.ɹi/.
Two challenges: the unstressed, reduced central vowel /ə/ in the third syllable can vanish in fast speech, altering rhythm; and the final /ri/ must stay light and quick rather than a hard /riː/. Another difficulty is balancing the primary stress on /nɪ/ while keeping the preceding /ju/ smoothly connected. Focus on a quick, light /tə/ and a final soft /ri/ with minimal lip rounding to avoid over-enunciating the last syllable.
There are no silent letters in 'unitary'; each syllable carries a pronounceable vowel sound. The sequence is /juˈnɪ.tə.ri/ (US) or /ˌjuː.nɪˈtɜː.ri/ (UK) with a pronounced final /ri/ or /ri/. The trick is keeping the middle /tə/ short and the ending /ri/ light. IPA cues: /juˈnɪ.tə.ri/ or /ˈjuː.nɪ.tə.ɹi/ depending on accent.
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- Accent tips: • US: rhotic /ɹ/ in the final syllable; keep the /ju/ as /juː/ or /ju/ with a clear onset. /ˈnɪ/ is short; the middle /tə/ is a reduced schwa. / • UK: often non-rhotic in careful speech; final /ri/ may be realized as /ri/ or /rə/ depending on tempo; use /ˌjuː.nɪˈtɜː.ri/ in careful speech. /nɪ/ tends to have a shorter, tighter vowel than in US. • AU: similar to UK but with slightly broader vowels; /juː/ is common, final /ri/ remains light; keep the stress on the second syllable. IPA cues: US /juˈnɪ.tə.ɹi/, UK /ˌjuː.nɪˈtɜː.ɹi/, AU /ˈjuː.nɪ.tə.ɹi/.
Unitary comes from the Late Latin unitarius, meaning 'of a unit' or 'one, single.' The root is unus, Latin for 'one,' reflecting the sense of wholeness. In the 17th–18th centuries, scholars used unitary to describe things pertaining to a single unit or applying to a unified whole. The term gained prominence in political theory with the rise of centralized state concepts, contrasting with federal or confederal models where powers are divided. In mathematics and physics, unitary posits conservation of norm or length under transformations, deriving from the idea of preserving a single, indivisible quantity through operations. Its usage broadened to denote cohesive systems, inclusive of entities designed as a single unit, and later specialized in areas like unitary matrices in linear algebra and unitary groups in physics. First known uses appear in academic writings around the 18th and 19th centuries, with strides in political philosophy and abstract algebra reinforcing the term’s central meaning: a single, indivisible whole or functionally unified entity.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "unitary" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "unitary"
-ity sounds
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