How to pronounce "sumatra" in English
səˈmɑːtrə
sə·MAHT·rə
Primary stress: MAHT
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.
No video clips indexed yet for “sumatra”
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: “sumatra”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
sə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
MAHT
Tense long vowel with sustained acoustic resonance.
rə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("MAHT"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When followed by a vowel, insert a subtle glide (/w/ or /j/) to connect into the subsequent word without an abrupt glottal stop.
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "sumatra" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “sumatra”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
In the Straits of Malacca one encounters a squall every night; there they are known by the name of Sumatras, crossing as they do from the island bearing that name.
Hear it in context: “sumatra”
The English word “sumatra” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as səˈmɑːtrə (phonetic respelling: sə-MAHT-rə). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (sə · MAHT · rə), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (MAHT). Grammatically, “sumatra” functions as a noun. Hear native speakers say sumatra in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “sumatra”
- A squall or violent rainstorm coming from the south.
- A chicken of a breed native to the island of Sumatra, formerly used in cock-fighting and now mainly kept for exhibition.
Example Sentences (1)
- “In the Straits of Malacca one encounters a squall every night; there they are known by the name of Sumatras, crossing as they do from the island bearing that name.”
Pronounce: “sumatra”
- Pronunciation:
- sə-MAHT-rə
- Syllables:
- sə · MAHT · rə
- Written Hyphenation:
- su · ma · tra
- Primary stress:
- MAHT
- IPA:
- səˈmɑːtrə
- Hear it in context
- sumatra
Words that Rhyme with “sumatra”
-ɑtrəWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"sumatra" (⁄səˈmɑːtrə⁄) 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, "sumatra" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about sumatra
How do you pronounce “sumatra”?
“sumatra” is pronounced ⁄səˈmɑːtrə⁄ (sə-MAHT-rə). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “sumatra”?
“sumatra” has 3 syllables: sə · MAHT · rə.
Where is the stress in “sumatra”?
The primary stress in “sumatra” is on “MAHT”.
What does “sumatra” mean?
A squall or violent rainstorm coming from the south.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “sumatra”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).