How to pronounce “karate”
Karate is pronounced /kərˈɑːtiː/. It has 3 syllables, and the beat falls on the second one — ɑː. 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 ɑː in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern oOo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
“karate” sound by sound
“karate” is built out of 5 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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ərThe same r-coloured tongue shape as /ɜːr/ but weak, short and unstressed — the ending of "teacher", "doctor", "sugar".
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ɑːOpen the mouth wide, drop the tongue low and back, keep the lips unrounded, and hold it long — the doctor-says-"ahh" vowel.
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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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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
Words that rhyme with “karate”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “karate”
- How do you pronounce “karate”?
- “karate” is pronounced /kərˈɑːtiː/, with the stress on the second syllable (ɑː). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “karate”?
- “karate” has 3 syllables: kər · ɑː · tiː. The stress pattern is oOo.
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