English pronunciation · Words Starting with D
Desperate Pronunciation
Desperate is pronounced DE-sper-it, IPA /ˈdɛspɝɪt/.
DE-sper-it
US /ˈdɛspɝɪt/ · UK /ˈdɛspərət/
Syllables: DE · sper · it (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Feeling or showing hopelessness, or willing to do anything because of it.
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Desperate in a Sentence
- They were desperate for news.
- He made one desperate attempt to reach the shore.
- The situation in the camps is desperate.
Common Mispronunciations of Desperate
Not DE-spuh-rayt
The ending is a flat it with no ay in it, the same way separate goes flat when it is an adjective.
Not DI-spuh-rit
Disparate is a separate word with an i at the front, and it means varied rather than hopeless.
Tip: Dictionaries print three beats but ordinary speech runs the middle one away, leaving DE-sprit. Both are standard.
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