How to pronounce deteriorate
Say it like dih-TIR-ee-uh-rayt. Deteriorate has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TIR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce deteriorate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dih
- TIR
- ee
- uh
- rayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Deteriorate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- TIRSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- raytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of deteriorate
- American English uses 5 syllables and British English 4.
British respelling: dih-TEER-reer-rayt.
What does deteriorate mean?
- To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to impair.
- To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate.
Where does deteriorate come from?
Learned borrowing from Late Latin dēteriorātus, perfect passive participle of Late Latin dēteriorō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from Latin dēterior (“worse”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying deteriorate
How do you pronounce deteriorate?
Say dih-TIR-ee-uh-rayt. The American pronunciation is /dɪˈtɪriəˌreɪt/. In British English it is /dɪˈtɪərɪəˌreɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in deteriorate?
Deteriorate has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TIR). Broken into parts: dih · TIR · ee · uh · rayt.
Is deteriorate pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. American English uses 5 syllables and British English 4. The British form is /dɪˈtɪərɪəˌreɪt/ (dih-TEER-reer-rayt).