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How to Pronounce coarse vs course

Key Pronunciation Contrast

Homophones (⁄kɔːrs⁄): ‘coarse’ means rough or unrefined, whereas ‘course’ refers to a direction, class, or meal stage.

Contrast: Homophones: identical ⁄kɔːrs⁄

coarse

⁄kɔːrs⁄

Syllables

COARSE

Definition:

With a rough texture; not smooth.

“Two hundred Sempſtreſſes were employed to make me Shirts, and Linen for Bed and Table, all of the ſtrongeft and coarſeſt kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in ſeveral Folds, for the thickeſt was ſome degrees finer than Lawn.”

course

⁄kɔːrs⁄

Syllables

COURSE

Definition:

A sequence of events.

“The normal course of events seems to be just one damned thing after another.”

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Frequently Asked Questions: coarse vs course

What is the difference in pronunciation between "coarse" and "course"?

Homophones (⁄kɔːrs⁄): ‘coarse’ means rough or unrefined, whereas ‘course’ refers to a direction, class, or meal stage.

Where does the syllable stress fall in "coarse" vs "course"?

"coarse" has 1 syllable(s) (coarse) with stress on "COARSE". "course" has 1 syllable(s) (course) with stress on "COURSE".

Why do English learners often confuse "coarse" and "course"?

Learners frequently confuse them due to the close sound contrast: Homophones: identical ⁄kɔːrs⁄. In rapid spoken English, context and vowel duration are the primary differentiators.

What are example sentences for "coarse" and "course"?

Example for "coarse": "Two hundred Sempſtreſſes were employed to make me Shirts, and Linen for Bed and Table, all of the ſtrongeft and coarſeſt kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in ſeveral Folds, for the thickeſt was ſome degrees finer than Lawn." Example for "course": "The normal course of events seems to be just one damned thing after another."