How to pronounce "unergative" in English
ʌnˈɝɡətɪv
uhn·UR·gə·tiv
Primary stress: UR
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No video clips indexed yet for “unergative”
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: “unergative”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
uhn
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
UR
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
gə
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
tiv
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("UR"). 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 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 "unergative" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “unergative”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
In Section 1 I will discuss the existence of a class of ergative adjectives in Dutch[…]. It will be demonstrated that there are a number of arguments supporting the claim that the class of adjectives should be divided into ergative and unergative adjectives. A large number of adjectives that are unergative according to the tests provided in Section 2 appear to be ergative with respect to their argument structure.
Hear it in context: “unergative”
The English word “unergative” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ʌnˈɝɡətɪv (phonetic respelling: uhn-UR-gə-tiv). Phonologically, it consists of 4 syllables (uhn · UR · gə · tiv), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (UR). Grammatically, “unergative” functions as a adjective, noun. Hear native speakers say unergative in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “unergative”
- Intransitive and having an agent as its subject.
- An unergative verb.
Example Sentences (2)
- “In Section 1 I will discuss the existence of a class of ergative adjectives in Dutch[…]. It will be demonstrated that there are a number of arguments supporting the claim that the class of adjectives should be divided into ergative and unergative adjectives. A large number of adjectives that are unergative according to the tests provided in Section 2 appear to be ergative with respect to their argument structure.”
- “1998, Eloise Jelinek, Voice and Transitivity as Functional Projections in Yaqui, in Miriam Butt and Wilhelm Geuder, eds., “The Projection of Arguments” We have seen that Unergatives and Unaccusatives differ in 1) permitting the derivation of an Impersonal Passive, and 2) in licensing purpose clauses, since Unergatives have active subjects, and Unaccusatives do not.”
Pronounce: “unergative”
- Pronunciation:
- uhn-UR-gə-tiv
- Syllables:
- uhn · UR · gə · tiv
- Written Hyphenation:
- u · ner · ga · tive
- Primary stress:
- UR
- IPA:
- ʌnˈɝɡətɪv
- Hear it in context
- unergative
Words that Rhyme with “unergative”
-ɝgətɪvWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"unergative" (⁄ʌnˈɝɡətɪv⁄) 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, "unergative" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about unergative
How do you pronounce “unergative”?
“unergative” is pronounced ⁄ʌnˈɝɡətɪv⁄ (uhn-UR-gə-tiv). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “unergative”?
“unergative” has 4 syllables: uhn · UR · gə · tiv.
Where is the stress in “unergative”?
The primary stress in “unergative” is on “UR”.
What does “unergative” mean?
Intransitive and having an agent as its subject.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “unergative”?
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].