How to pronounce tailgate
Say it like TAYL-gayt. Tailgate has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAYL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tailgate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TAYL
- gayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tailgate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- gaytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of tailgate
American and British speakers say tailgate in essentially the same way: /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/ in the US and /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: TAYL-gayt.
What does tailgate mean?
- A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading.“Drop the tailgate, please, and I'll load these pallets.”
- The hinged rear door of a hatchback.“Open up the tailgate, please, and retrieve her suitcases.”
- The downstream gate in the lock on a canal or river, or in an irrigation system.“The locktender closed the tailgate and the chamber started to fill.”
- To drive dangerously close behind another vehicle.“That idiot has been tailgating me for the last five minutes.”
- To follow another person through access control on their access, rather than on one’s own credentials, especially when entering a door controlled by a card reader.
- To privately purchase or sell a security immediately after trading in the same security for a client.
Where does tailgate come from?
From tail + gate. Compare liftgate.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying tailgate
How do you pronounce tailgate?
Say TAYL-gayt. The American pronunciation is /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/. In British English it is /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tailgate?
Tailgate has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TAYL). Broken into parts: TAYL · gayt.
Do Americans and Brits say tailgate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/ and the British form is /ˈteɪlˌɡeɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.