English pronunciation · Words Starting with I
Illiterate Pronunciation
Illiterate is pronounced i-LI-ter-uht, IPA /ˌɪˈlɪtɝət/.
i-LI-ter-uht
US /ˌɪˈlɪtɝət/ · UK /ɪˈlɪtərət/
Syllables: i · LI · ter · uht (4 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
adjective and noun: Unable to read or write.
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Illiterate in a Sentence
- A third of the adults there are illiterate.
- He was illiterate until his twenties.
- The form is useless to an illiterate applicant.
Common Mispronunciations of Illiterate
Not i-li-ter-AYT
The ending is a flat uht, as in the adjective moderate, and nothing at the back is loud.
Not I-li-ter-uht
The second beat, LI, is the one that carries the word.
Tip: Literate and illiterate stress the same syllable. Adding il- adds a beat, not a new peak.
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