How to pronounce "retards" in EnglishVerb
rɪˈtɑːrdz
rih·TARDZ
Primary stress: TARDZ
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No video clips indexed yet for “retards”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “retards”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
rih
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
TARDZ
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("TARDZ"). 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 "retards" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "retards is" sounds like "retards-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "retards" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Practice Speaking “retards”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
retard the march of an army
Hear it in context: “retards”
The English word “retards” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as rɪˈtɑːrdz (phonetic respelling: rih-TARDZ). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (rih · TARDZ), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (TARDZ). Grammatically, “retards” functions as a noun, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. Hear native speakers say retards in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “retards”
- A retardation; a delay.
- A slowing down of the tempo; a ritardando.
- To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progressing.
- To put off; to postpone.
Example Sentences (2)
- “retard the march of an army”
- “to retard the attacks of old age”
Pronounce: “retards”
- Pronunciation:
- rih-TARDZ
- Syllables:
- rih · TARDZ
- Written Hyphenation:
- re · tards
- Primary stress:
- TARDZ
- IPA:
- rɪˈtɑːrdz
- Hear it in context
- retards
Synonyms: “retards”
Hear words related in meaning to “retards” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “retards”
-ɑrdzWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"retards" (⁄rɪˈtɑːrdz⁄) 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, "retards" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about retards
How do you pronounce “retards”?
“retards” is pronounced ⁄rɪˈtɑːrdz⁄ (rih-TARDZ). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “retards”?
“retards” has 2 syllables: rih · TARDZ.
Where is the stress in “retards”?
The primary stress in “retards” is on “TARDZ”.
What does “retards” mean?
A retardation; a delay.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “retards”?
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].