2 syllables: Ward, robe. Stress on Ward.
WAWR-drohb
/ˈwɔɹˌdɹoʊb/
Wardrobe is pronounced WAWR-drohb (/ˈwɔɹˌdɹoʊb/). It has two syllables (Ward-robe), with the stress on "Ward". Wardrobe is a noun meaning an installed or portable closet used for storing clothes and accessories. It commonly refers to the collection of garments one wears and can also denote a room or piece of furniture designed for clothing storage. In speech, it is typically pronounced with two syllables and a light, clipped final vowel sound.
nounWardrobe is a noun meaning an installed or portable closet used for storing clothes and accessories. It commonly refers to the collection of garments one wears and can also denote a room or piece of furniture designed for clothing storage. In speech, it is typically pronounced with two syllables and a light, clipped final vowel sound.
How to Pronounce Wardrobe
"She opened the wardrobe to find her favorite jacket."
"The hotel room had a built-in wardrobe and a safe."
"I need to rearrange my wardrobe for the new season."
Wardrobe is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈwɔːrdroʊb/ in US, /ˈwɔːdrəʊb/ in UK, and /ˈwɔːdrəʊb/ in Australian English. The primary stress is on the first syllable: WAR-; the second syllable starts with a Voiced alveolar stop /d/ followed by a rhotic or non-rhotic vowel depending on accent, ending with /roʊb/ or /rəʊb/. Keep your lips rounded for /ɔː/ and finish with a clear /b/ closure. In rapid speech, the /d/ can be lightly released, sounding like /ˈwɔːrdəʊb/ for some speakers.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (say WAR-drobe instead of war-DROBE), dropping the /r/ or altering the vowel to a short /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ in non-rhotic accents, and enunciating the second syllable as /dəʊ/ instead of /droʊ/ or /drəʊ/. Correction tips: sustain the /ɔː/ in the first syllable, clearly articulate the /dr/ cluster beginning of the second syllable, and finish with a crisp /b/. Practice by isolating /ˈwɔːr/ then adding /droʊb/ gradually, ensuring your tongue contacts the alveolar ridge for /r/ if rhotic, or relaxes for non-rhotic English.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈwɔːrdroʊb/, with a rhotic /r/ and a long /oʊ/ in the final syllable. UK and many Commonwealth accents are non-rhotic: /ˈwɔːdrəʊb/ or /ˈwɔːdəʊb/, with a reduced second vowel and a non-rhotic /r/. Australian English tends to be rhotic but with vowel reduction: /ˈwɔːdrəʊb/ or /ˈwɔːdrəʊb/, with slight vowel centering and a shorter /ə/ in the second syllable. Pay attention to whether your /r/ is pronounced (US) or not (UK/AU in some contexts) and the quality of /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/.
Wardrobe is tricky because of the /ɔː/ vowel in the first syllable, which can vary by accent, and the /dr/ cluster that immediately links to a high-front vowel in the second half. The second syllable also presents a vowel reduction challenge: /oʊ/ vs /əʊ/ depending on accent. The sequence /dr/ followed by a stop /b/ can blur in rapid speech. Mastery requires tying the tongue for /r/ (or reducing it in non-rhotic variants) while maintaining a crisp /b/ closure at the end.
Wardrobe has an audible /d/ in the /dr/ cluster, and the primary stress is clearly on the first syllable: WAR-drobe. There are no silent letters in typical pronunciations, though some speakers lightly reduce the second vowel to /ə/ or /əʊ/ in fast speech. The key nuance is maintaining the /ˈwɔːr/ onset with correct rhotic or non-rhotic quality and landing the final /b/ firmly to avoid trailing off.
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Wardrobe traces to the Old French garderobe, from garder (to guard, to keep) and -robe (robe, clothing). The English adoption likely occurred in the 13th-14th centuries, initially denoting a place for guarding garments (a guard room or closet). In Middle English, garderobe evolved into warderobe, then wardrobe, with the word acquiring both the sense of a room for clothes and the collection of garments it contains. The root garde- relates to guarding or keeping; by the early modern period, wardrobe specifically signified a storage space for apparel as furniture or a room, then extending to the ensemble of clothes itself. The modern sense emphasizes both the physical closet and the wearer’s clothing assortment, retaining a lexical link to protection and organization historically associated with dress. First known use is attested in medieval English texts, with evolution paralleling architectural storage advances and household furniture development.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Wardrobe" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Wardrobe" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Wardrobe"
-ord sounds
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