How to pronounce exaggerate
Say it like ig-ZAJ-uh-rayt. Exaggerate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (ZAJ).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce exaggerate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ig
- ZAJ
- uh
- rayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Exaggerate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- igKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ZAJSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- 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 exaggerate
American and British speakers say exaggerate in essentially the same way: /ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/ in the US and /ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: ig-ZAJ-uh-rayt.
What does exaggerate mean?
- To overstate, to describe more than the fact.“I've told you a billion times not to exaggerate!”
- Exaggerative; overblown.
Where does exaggerate come from?
Borrowed from Latin exaggerātus, perfect passive participle of exaggerō (“to heap up, increase, enlarge, magnify, amplify, exaggerate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out, up”) + aggerō, agg
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying exaggerate
How do you pronounce exaggerate?
Say ig-ZAJ-uh-rayt. The American pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/. In British English it is /ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in exaggerate?
Exaggerate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (ZAJ). Broken into parts: ig · ZAJ · uh · rayt.
Do Americans and Brits say exaggerate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/ and the British form is /ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.