Learn how to pronounce the words GRADUATE & GRADUATE with this American English heteronym pronunciation lesson. Heteronyms are words that are spelled exactly the same. They just have a different pronunciation and a different meaning.
Pronunciation:
/ˈɡræʤuɪt & ˈɡræʤuˌeɪt/
Definitions:
a person who completed studies or relating to a graduate school education
to receive an anaemic degree
Transcript:
Hi everyone it’s Jennifer from Tarle speech with your heteronym lesson. Heteronyms are words that are spelled exactly the same with different meanings and pronunciations.
So today we have:
graduate which is a noun or an adjective meaning a person who completed studies or relating to a graduate school education and
the verb graduate to receive an academic degree
All right I’m going to teach this one way but I’m going to give you some options depending on how your brain works best. All right so to say these words we’re going to start with syllable number one grad. To do that we’re going to start with a tongue tip low for that G, back of the tongue pulled up and lips are square and tense.
If you flip your tongue back for the r that’s fine you’re just going to move it from low to flipped back. Then you’re going to add that short ah sound . To do that open wide, tip of the tongue is low, back of the tongue is pulled high up, and then you are going to touch the place where the skin meets the teeth the roof of the mouth for that D sound – D.
grad grad grad
Next you’re going to keep your tongue where it is for that D grad jew and you’re going to start into that j. A j always starts by touching the tip of your tongue to the back of your top front teeth where the teeth meet the skin on the roof of the mouth and then you’re just going to pull it back into the middle of the mouth and then round the lips for the oo. Jew grad JEW gradu gradu
Some of you might hear grad you as in you and that’s fine too you can do that. I just think it’s easier to think about ending with that D starting with a J so that your tongue is already there and it just makes things a little bit easier. For graduate the noun or the adjective you are going to end with it, like the word. Short i sound, unstressed, relaxed, short, and then touch the teeth for the t. t. t.
grad jew it graduate graduate graduate
We are stressing syllable number one here.
graduate graduate graduate
So stressing means it’s higher in pitch, a little bit louder, and the vowel is longer; and then the unstressed syllables are the opposite – lower, softer, and shorter.
So one more time graduate graduate graduate
Now for the verb graduate you are going to end with ate like I ate a delicious dinner. And to say that you’re going to open wide. The tip of the tongue starts low, back of the tongue is pulled high up, and then as you close your mouth from wide open to kind of a smile, your tongue just ends high and flat in the mouth. a
And then touch the tip of the tongue to the back of the top front teeth for that t sound. And this word we are going to stress two different syllables the grad and then the ate so we’re stressing syllable number one and syllable number three.
Let’s put it all together
graduate
grad jew ate
graduate graduate graduate
So we have graduate graduate graduate graduate graduate graduate graduate graduate graduate graduate
And now for a sentence:
The graduate student will graduate in May.
Give it a try people are going to notice the difference. Please share it with your friends and give us a like.
Thanks everyone have an amazing week!