3 syllables: Wal, ter De La Ma, re. Stress on Wal.
wawl-tur-duh-luh-MAH-ray
/ˈwɔl.tɚ ˈdə ˈlə ˈmɑː.reɪ/
Walter De La Mare is pronounced wawl-tur-duh-luh-MAH-ray (/ˈwɔl.tɚ ˈdə ˈlə ˈmɑː.reɪ/). It has three syllables (Wal-ter De La Ma-re), with the stress on "Wal". Walter De La Mare (1873–1956) was an English poet, novelist, and short-story writer renowned for his atmospheric, dreamlike verse and children’s literature. His name combines a given name with a double surname of French/Spanish origin, reflecting a classical literary lineage. In pronunciation guides, his name is treated as a proper noun; the emphasis typically falls on the surname, yielding a gently flowing, literary cadence compatible with formal diction.
nounWalter De La Mare (1873–1956) was an English poet, novelist, and short-story writer renowned for his atmospheric, dreamlike verse and children’s literature. His name combines a given name with a double surname of French/Spanish origin, reflecting a classical literary lineage. In pronunciation guides, his name is treated as a proper noun; the emphasis typically falls on the surname, yielding a gently flowing, literary cadence compatible with formal diction.
- You’ll often say 'Delamare' or blend De La Mare into a single syllable; practice by isolating each word: Walter /ˈwɔːltər/, De /də/, La /lə/, Mare /ˈmær/. - Common error is misplacing stress on De or La; fix by keeping primary stress on Walter and Mare in full name references. - Another frequent mistake is pronouncing the R strongly in non-rhotic accents, which can blur the name’s natural flow; relax the final r in Mare in UK/AU speech and use a soft, rhotic touch only in US. - Mispronouncing the vowels in De and La as full vowels rather than reduced vowels; work on schwa-like pronunciations /də/ and /lə/ in connected speech. - In connected speech, blending De La into a single “Dela” can occur; practice with slow, spaced pronunciation, then add natural linking while preserving word boundaries. - Focus on the final word Mare to avoid a mis-timed secondary stress; keep Mare as an isolated, stressed element at the end of the sequence.
"- You might hear Walter De La Mare referenced in discussions of early 20th-century English poetry."
"- The narrator’s voice in his stories often mirrors Walter De La Mare’s own lyrical, hushed tone."
"- In academic contexts, scholars cite Walter De La Mare when exploring symbolist influences in English literature."
/ˈwɔːltər də lə ˈmær/ in US and UK IPA. Stress sits on Walter (first syllable) and Mare (last surname). In careful reading, say ‘WAWL-tər’ + ‘də’ + ‘lə’ + ‘MAR.’ For Australian speakers, vowel quality is similar to UK, with non-rhotic R; keep the final ‘r’ in Mare softly voiced in non-rhotic contexts. Audio reference: focus on the two-part rhythm: trochaic stress on Walter, unstressed “De La,” stressed Mare. Practicing at slow tempo helps lock the cadence.
Common errors include misplacing stress (trying to stress Mare as a second-name rather than Walter), and conflating De La Mare into a single-syllable brand (e.g., ‘Delamare’). Another pitfall is mispronouncing De as ‘dee’ and La as ‘la’ as separate, when many speakers naturally fuse: de-la- with light schwa in small syllables. Correct by emphasizing Walter first, articulating De as ‘də’ and La as ‘lə’, then Mare with a clear /mæɹ/ (US) or /mɑː/ (UK/AU). Use IPA guidance and place the emphasis clearly on Mare at the final stressed syllable.
In US English, the final /r/ in Mare is pronounced; in much UK and AU varieties, non-rhoticity reduces the r sound, giving ‘MARE’ as /mɑː/ with length and quality differences. Walter’s first name retains a strong /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ depending on the speaker; De and La are weakly reduced to /də/ and /lə/ in connected speech. Australians often align with non-rhotic UK patterns, but vowel quality can be slightly more open as in Australian English. Overall: US emphasizes the final /ɹ/; UK/AU drop post-vocalic r and lengthen the vowel in Mare.
Two main challenges: the De La sequence requires careful syllable timing and smooth linking, and the final surname Mare carries a distinct short-a vowel versus longer, open back vowels in some accents. The sequence De La Mare blends /də lə ˈmær/ with rapid transitions, and you must maintain the stress on Walter and Mare while keeping ‘de’ and ‘la’ reduced but audible. Focus on clean syllable boundaries and a small, precise mouth posture for each segment.
A notable nuance is the interaction of De La with the following La, where natural speech reduces both function words while preserving a light, almost melodic, glide between syllables: /ˈwɔːltər də lə ˈmær/. The tricky part is keeping Mare distinct and not letting it blur with La; rehearse by saying the full name slowly, then gradually increasing tempo while stressing Walter and Mare. IPA guidance helps anchor the subtle vowel shifts in non-rhotic contexts.
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- US: R-controlled Walter often ends with a slight rhotic cue; you’ll hear a light /ɹ/ in Walter and a distinct /æɹ/ for Mare, with De/La reduced to /də/ /lə/. - UK: Non-rhotic; final /r/ dropped; Mare sounds like /mɑː/ with length; De/La reduced to /də/ /lə/, maintaining a gentle flow. - AU: Similar to UK non-rhotic, but vowel qualities are softened; Mare tends to a broader /mɑː/ and a slightly longer vowel than US. - Reference IPA: /ˈwɔːltəɹ də lə ˈmær/ (US), /ˈwɔːltə də lə ˈmɑː/ (UK/AU). Focus on keeping Walter’s first syllable crisp, De/La as light connectors, and Mare distinctly final. - Practice tip: practice with a mirror to monitor lip rounding for /ɔː/ vs /ɒ/ in Walter, and keep jaw relaxed for the schwa in De/La.
Walter is a Germanic given name formed from Waldhar/Walther, meaning “ruler of the army” or “foreign soldier.” De La Mare is a French-origin surname translating roughly as “of the sea (la mer)” or “from the sea,” with de la indicating “of the.” The surname appears in English-speaking contexts through family lines of mixed French/Spanish influence and has been carried into literary circles since the 19th century. The combined form Walter De La Mare is primarily recognized as a full personal name in English literature, with “De La Mare” functioning as a prestige-family surname. In English usage, the spacing and capitalization signal two-part proper noun identity rather than a compound given name. The phrase first appears in print as a biographical reference to the author in late 19th–early 20th-century bibliographies, consolidating into common reference in scholarship and bibliographies during the modernist era. Over time, “Walter De La Mare” has become emblematic of a certain cultured, moonlit English aesthetic, and is widely recognized in literary discussions, anthologies, and school curricula. Although the cadence of the name is not itself semantically loaded, its rhythmic, two-stress pattern mirrors the literary elegance found in his prose and verse, contributing to the name’s enduring presence in literary discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "Walter De La Mare"
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