VEN-chur
/ˈvɛntʃɚ/
venture is pronounced VEN-chur (/ˈvɛntʃɚ/). Venture is a verb or noun meaning to undertake a risky or daring journey, or a business enterprise or project undertaken with risk and potential reward. It implies embarking on something uncertain or exploratory, often with measured risk, and can also refer to a business venture or start-up. In usage, it can describe both the act of taking risks and the enterprise itself, typically in formal or semi-formal contexts.
Venture is a verb or noun meaning to undertake a risky or daring journey, or a business enterprise or project undertaken with risk and potential reward. It implies embarking on something uncertain or exploratory, often with measured risk, and can also refer to a business venture or start-up. In usage, it can describe both the act of taking risks and the enterprise itself, typically in formal or semi-formal contexts.
- Common error: confusing /tʃ/ with /t/ or /dʒ/. Correction: practice a split: /t/ release immediately followed by /ʃ/ to form /tʃ/; use minimal pair drills like vent-ure vs ven-dʒure. - Error: over-articulating the final syllable, making it /-tʃə-ry/ or /-tʃər/; correction: reduce to /-tʃər/ or /-tʃə/ depending on accent, with a short, controlled ending. - Dart-like rapid speech can flatten the vowel in /ˈven/; practice with slower tempo to ensure /ˈven/ is clear, then speed up gradually. These adjustments will keep the first syllable prominent and the /tʃ/ crisp.
"We decided to venture into uncharted territory with our new research project."
"The startup began as a small venture but quickly attracted investors."
"He warned that to venture outside the city at night was dangerous."
Pronounce as VEN-tchər (US) or VEN-chə-r (UK/AU in fast speech). The primary stress is on the first syllable: /ˈven.tʃər/ in US, /ˈven.tʃə.rə/ in careful UK/AU pronunciation. Tip: start with /v/ (labiodental) then /ɛn/ with a clear short e, followed by the palato-alveolar affricate /tʃ/ beginning the 'ture' cluster, and finally the rhotic schwa /ər/ or /ə.rə/ depending on locality. Audio reference: similar to “venture” in many dictionaries; listen for the /tʃ/ as in “cheer.”
Two common errors: 1) Misplacing the /tʃ/ as a simple /t/ or /dʒ/; keep it as a clear /tʃ/ blend. 2) Slurring the final /ər/ into a neutral vowel; aim for a rhotic-ish or schwa+rhotic ending depending on accent. Correct by emphasizing the /tʃ/ onset before the /ə/ or /ər/ and maintaining a short, clipped first syllable. Practice with minimal pairs like vent-ure vs ven-dʒure to reinforce the /tʃ/ vs /dʒ/ distinction.
US tends to have a clean /ˈven.tʃɚ/ with rhotic /ɚ/ in American English. UK often yields /ˈven.tʃə/ or /ˈven.tʃə.rə/ with non-rhoticity in careful speech, and AU follows a similar pattern to UK but may be slightly looser, with vowels reduced in fast speech. In all, the /tʃ/ remains consistent; the vowel quality of the first syllable is a short /e/; the ending varies between rhotic and non-rhotic realizations.
The difficulty centers on the /tʃ/ cluster after /e/ and the final syllable’s rhoticity or lack thereof across accents. The transition /ven/ to /tʃər/ requires precise tongue elevation: the alveolar ridge contact for /n/ then rapid /tʃ/ release, plus a controlled vowel in the final syllable that may be reduced or rhotic depending on locale. Mastery needs attention to the palatal affricate and the subtle vowel reductions, especially in rapid speech.
Focus on the onset transition from /n/ into the /tʃ/ sequence; many speakers mispronounce it as /t/ or /dʒ/. Maintain a crisp /tʃ/ to avoid an /dʒ/ blend. Also, ensure the final syllable isn’t overly drawn out: in many contexts, a quick /ər/ or a unstressed /ə/ is natural. Thinking of the word as ven-ture helps maintain the strong first syllable and the sharp /tʃ/.
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- US: Rhotic /ɚ/ ending; keep the /ə/ or /ɚ/ neutral, not a full vowel. - UK: Non-rhotic, final syllable may reduce to /ə/; avoid rolling the r. - AU: Similar to UK with slight vowel shortening in casual speech; aim for /ˈven.tʃə.rə/ when fully enunciated, but /ˈven.tʃə/ in casual contexts. Transcriptions: US /ˈven.tʃɚ/, UK /ˈven.tʃə/ or /ˈven.tʃə.rə/, AU /ˈven.tʃə.rə/.
Venture derives from the Old French venture, from or related to avanture, which signified a chance or undertaking. The root is late Latin forturn(a) or from Latin incertus via French; in English, it evolved to mean a risky undertaking or a business enterprise. In Middle English, venture was used to describe a risky enterprise or hazard, often with the sense of venturing forth into danger. By the 16th and 17th centuries, it broadened to include ventures as commercial undertakings or expeditions, and by modern times it commonly refers to a business project or a journey with uncertain outcome. The sense of risk and enterprise remains central, though in everyday usage it can also refer to personal risk-taking or exploration. First known uses appear in medieval and early modern texts, where merchants and explorers discussed ventures as ventures into the unknown, combining danger with potential reward.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "venture" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "venture"
-ure sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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