English pronunciation · Words Starting with O
Operate Pronunciation
Operate is pronounced AH-per-ayt, IPA /ˈɑpɝˌeɪt/.
AH-per-ayt
US /ˈɑpɝˌeɪt/ · UK /ˈɒpəˌreɪt/
Syllables: AH · per · ayt (3 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
verb: To make something work, to run a business, or to perform surgery.
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Operate in a Sentence
- She operates the ferry in the summer months.
- The firm operates in eleven countries.
- They had to operate on the knee again.
Common Mispronunciations of Operate
Not AH-puh-ruht
A verb in ate closes on a full ayt. The flat uht belongs to adjectives and nouns such as separate.
Not ah-puh-RAYT
The lead is at the front and the ending takes a secondary lift at most.
Tip: The e in oper is a weak uh and never the ee of opera, which is a different word entirely.
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