English pronunciation · Words Starting with C
Contemporary Pronunciation
Contemporary is pronounced kuhn-TEM-per-e-ree, IPA /kənˈtɛmpɝˌɛri/.
kuhn-TEM-per-e-ree
US /kənˈtɛmpɝˌɛri/ · UK /kənˈtɛmpərəri/
Syllables: kuhn · TEM · per · e · ree (5 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
adjective and noun: Belonging to the present day, or belonging to the same period as something else.
Audio for the American and British pronunciations plays on this page with JavaScript enabled.
Contemporary in a Sentence
- The gallery shows contemporary sculpture only.
- Handel was a contemporary of Bach.
- A contemporary account of the fire survives in the parish records.
Common Mispronunciations of Contemporary
Not KAHN-tem-per-e-ree
Anchor the weight on TEM and let everything before and after it run quietly.
Not kuhn-tem-PER-e-ree
Shifting the peak to the third beat stretches the word out. TEM stays the high point no matter how many syllables follow.
Tip: Five beats in careful speech, kuhn-TEM-per-e-ree, and four in ordinary speech, kuhn-TEM-pruh-ree. Both are standard.
More words starting with c · Every word in the pronunciation guide