Learn How to Pronounce late

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late

Phonetic Transcription:

leɪt

Examples:

The phone rings late in the night.

Workers toiled late at night.

The meeting is prolonged until late in the night.

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late

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How to perfect your pronunciation of: late

Learn Individual Sounds

Break late down into individual sounds such as leɪt. Practice these parts before you learn to say the whole word.

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Common mistakes of late pronunciation

  1. Misplacing the vowel sound: Some learners pronounce "late" with a short vowel sound, as in "cat." In IPA, it should be /leɪt/ for both US and UK. Tip: Focus on elongating the vowel to sound like "ay."
  2. Ignoring the final "t": A common mistake is dropping the "t" sound at the end of "late," making it sound like "lay." In IPA, the final sound should be /t/. Tip: Practice saying "late" with emphasis on the "t" to ensure clarity.
  3. Confusing "late" with "let": Some may confuse "late" with "let," pronouncing it as /lɛt/. The correct pronunciation is /leɪt/. Tip: Remember that "late" has a long "a" sound, while "let" has a short "e."
  4. Adding an extra syllable: Some learners mistakenly add an extra syllable, pronouncing it as "la-te." The correct pronunciation is a single syllable, /leɪt/. Tip: Focus on blending the sounds smoothly without pausing.
  5. Mispronouncing the initial consonant: A few may pronounce "late" starting with a "w" sound, saying "wlate." The correct initial sound is /l/. Tip: Practice saying "l" clearly before the vowel to avoid this error.

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "late"?

The word "late" is pronounced as /leɪt/ in both American and British English. The vowel sound is a long "a," similar to the sound in "bait."

What is the stress pattern for "late"?

The word "late" has one syllable, and the stress is on that syllable, making it pronounced as /leɪt/. Since it is a one-syllable word, it carries primary stress by default.

Are there any common mistakes when pronouncing "late"?

A common mistake is mispronouncing "late" as /læt/, which uses a short "a" sound like in "cat." Remember to use the long "a" sound to say "late" correctly.

Is there a difference between American and British pronunciation of "late"?

There is no significant difference in the pronunciation of "late" between American and British English; both pronounce it as /leɪt/. However, regional accents may slightly affect the vowel quality.
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