How to pronounce "adulterates" in English
əˈdʌltəreɪts
ə·DUHL·tər·ayts
Primary stress: DUHL
Hear native speakers say adulterates in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “adulterates”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
ə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
DUHL
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
tər
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
ayts
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("DUHL"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "adulterates" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "adulterates is" sounds like "adulterates-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "adulterates" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Fentanyl often adulterates other drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, and even prescription pills.”— TEDx TalksWatch clip
Practice Speaking “adulterates”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Fentanyl often adulterates other drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, and even prescription pills.
Hear it in context: “adulterates”
1 clipThe English word “adulterates” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as əˈdʌltəreɪts (phonetic respelling: ə-DUHL-tər-ayts). Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (ə · DUHL · tər · ayts), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (DUHL). Grammatically, “adulterates” functions as a adjective, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 1 authentic English video clip demonstrating how native speakers articulate “adulterates” in natural connected speech across American (US: 1 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from TEDx Talks.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (1 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USTEDx TalksClip #1 · @9:01
“with 72% of them coming from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Fentanyl often adulterates other drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, and even prescription pills. like heroin, meth, cocaine, and even prescription pills.”
Definition & Meaning: “adulterates”
- Corrupted or made impure by being mixed with something else; adulterated.
- Tending to commit adultery; relating to or being the product of adultery; adulterous.
- To corrupt, to debase (someone or something).
- To make less valuable or spoil (something) by adding impurities or other substances.
Example Sentences (3)
- “Theſe, and other like places in abundance through all thoſe ſhort Epiſtles, muſt either be adulterat, or elſe Ignatius [of Antioch] was not Ignatius, nor a Martyr, but moſt adulterate, and corrupt himſelf.”
- “I am poſſeſt with an adulterate blot, / My bloud is mingled with the crime of luſt: [...]”
- “Fentanyl often adulterates other drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, and even prescription pills.”
Pronounce: “adulterates”
- Pronunciation:
- ə-DUHL-tər-ayts
- Syllables:
- ə · DUHL · tər · ayts
- Written Hyphenation:
- a · dul · ter · ates
- Primary stress:
- DUHL
- IPA:
- əˈdʌltəreɪts
- Hear it in context
- adulterates
Synonyms: “adulterates”
Hear words related in meaning to “adulterates” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “adulterates”
-ʌltəreɪtsWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"adulterates" (⁄əˈdʌltəreɪts⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "adulterates" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about adulterates
How do you pronounce “adulterates”?
“adulterates” is pronounced ⁄əˈdʌltəreɪts⁄ (ə-DUHL-tər-ayts). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “adulterates”?
“adulterates” has 4 syllables: ə · DUHL · tər · ayts.
Where is the stress in “adulterates”?
The primary stress in “adulterates” is on “DUHL”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “adulterates” mean?
Corrupted or made impure by being mixed with something else; adulterated.
How can I hear “adulterates” used in real sentences?
This page has 1 real-world video example of “adulterates” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “adulterates”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].