How to pronounce complementarity
Say it like kahm-pluh-men-TAR-ih-tee. Complementarity has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (TAR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce complementarity. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- kahm
- pluh
- men
- TAR
- ih
- tee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Complementarity pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kahmGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- pluhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- menKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- TARSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- teeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of complementarity
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
- Americans usually soften the t in the middle into a quick d-like tap; British speakers keep a crisp t.
British respelling: kom-pluh-men-TAR-ih-tee.
What does complementarity mean?
- The state or characteristic of being complementary.
- A semantic relationship between two words wherein negative use of one entails the affirmative of the other with no gradability; the relation of binary antonyms.
- The idea that physical phenomena may have (mutually contradictory) properties that cannot be observed simultaneously (e.g. wave-particle duality).
Where does complementarity come from?
From complementary + -ity.
Words that rhyme with complementarity
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of complementarity.
Questions about saying complementarity
How do you pronounce complementarity?
Say kahm-pluh-men-TAR-ih-tee. The American pronunciation is /ˌkɑmpləmɛnˈtærɪti/. In British English it is /ˌkɒmpləmɛnˈtærɪti/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in complementarity?
Complementarity has six syllables, and the main stress falls on the fourth one (TAR). Broken into parts: kahm · pluh · men · TAR · ih · tee.
Is complementarity pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˌkɒmpləmɛnˈtærɪti/ (kom-pluh-men-TAR-ih-tee).