English pronunciation · Words Starting with A

Apartheid Pronunciation

Apartheid is pronounced uh-PAHR-tyd, IPA /əˈpɑrˌtaɪd/.

uh-PAHR-tyd

US /əˈpɑrˌtaɪd/  ·  UK /əˈpɑːθeɪd/

Syllables: uh · PAHR · tyd (3 syllables, stress on syllable 2)

noun: The system of enforced racial separation in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.

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Apartheid in a Sentence

  • Apartheid ended with the first free election in 1994.
  • She wrote three books about life under apartheid.
  • The museum documents the apartheid years in detail.

Common Mispronunciations of Apartheid

Not uh-PAR-thyd

The th here is a plain t. Afrikaans spells the sound that way, and the breathy English th of thin does not belong in it.

Not A-par-tayd

This word is built on apart, and the stress sits exactly where that word puts it, on the PAHR in the middle.

Tip: Two endings are in common use: uh-PAHR-tyd and uh-PAHR-tayt. The second is closer to Afrikaans and is usual in South Africa.

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