How to pronounce “curator”
Curator is pronounced /kjʊˈreɪtər/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — reɪ. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 3 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting reɪ in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“curator” sound by sound
“curator” is built out of 7 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
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jRaise the front of the tongue high toward the hard palate as if starting /iː/, then glide straight into the following vowel.
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ʊPull the tongue high and back but keep it lax, with light, loose lip rounding — short and relaxed.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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eɪStart at the /e/ position and glide upward and forward toward /ɪ/ — the jaw closes as you say it.
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tTouch the tongue tip to the bumpy ridge just behind the upper teeth, block the air, then release it with a puff.
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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
Words that rhyme with “curator”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “curator”
- How do you pronounce “curator”?
- “curator” is pronounced /kjʊˈreɪtər/, with the stress on the second syllable (reɪ). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “curator”?
- “curator” has 3 syllables: kjʊ · reɪ · tər. The stress pattern is oOo.
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