English pronunciation · Words Starting with I
Innovative Pronunciation
Innovative is pronounced I-nuh-vay-tiv, IPA /ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv/.
I-nuh-vay-tiv
US /ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv/ · UK /ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv/
Syllables: I · nuh · vay · tiv (4 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Introducing new methods or ideas.
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Innovative in a Sentence
- The department has an innovative approach to marking.
- It was an innovative use of an ordinary material.
- Few of the entries were genuinely innovative.
Common Mispronunciations of Innovative
Not i-NO-vuh-tiv
That rhythm belongs to innovation's verb, innovate. The adjective keeps the beat right at the front: I-nuh-vay-tiv.
Not I-nuh-vuh-tiv
The third syllable holds a clear long ay, inherited from innovate, even though it carries no beat.
Tip: British speakers often say i-NO-vuh-tiv, and both that and the front-stressed form appear in dictionaries.
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