Klryz
Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings

Vowels

iːseeɪsite / ɛbedæcat
ɑːfatherɒhot (UK)ɔːlawʊput
uːtooʌcupɜːbirdəabout
eɪdayaɪmyɔɪboyaʊnow
əʊ / oʊgo (UK / US)ɪəneareəhairʊətour

Consonants that look unusual

θthinðthisʃsheʒmeasure
tʃchurchdʒjudgeŋsingjyes

p b t d k g f v s z h m n l r w sound as in ordinary English spelling.

Marks

  • ˈ main stress, before the stressed syllable: /ˈwɔːtə/ water · ˌ lighter (secondary) stress: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ understand
  • ː a long vowel · (r) an r said only in accents that pronounce it (most American, Scottish, Irish)

Common word endings

  • -s / -es (plurals; he/she form of verbs): /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced (dogs), /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds (buses, watches). Spelling: -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; consonant + y → -ies (city → cities).
  • -ed (past): /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced (played), /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted). Spelling: love → loved, stop → stopped, carry → carried.
  • -ing: make → making, run → running, see → seeing.
  • Irregular: go, went, gone · be, was, been · see, saw, seen · man → men · child → children · mouse → mice.
  • Older (King James) forms: -eth = -s (he loveth = he loves) · -est with “thou” (thou lovest) · spake = spoke.

English Dictionary · 107,383 entries · Sources & licences

improve

/ɪmˈpɹuːv/ verb

Forms improves improving improved emprove

  1. verb (transitive) To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something). “Painting the woodwork will improve this house.”
  2. verb (intransitive) To become better. “I have improved since taking the tablets.”
  3. verb (dated) To use or employ to good purpose; to turn to profitable account. “to improve one's time;  to improve his means”
  4. verb (obsolete) To disprove or make void; to refute.
  5. verb (obsolete) To disapprove of; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure.

Synonyms

ameliorate better batten enhance amend hone meliorate refine get better look up

Antonyms

deteriorate worsen aggravate make matters worse pejorate

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou (“profit”), from Vulgar Latin prode (“advantageous, profitable”).

From Latin improbō (“disapprove, reject”). Doublet of improbate.

Webster’s 1913

  1. verb To disprove or make void; to refute. [Obs.]
  2. verb To disapprove; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure; as, to improve negligence. [Obs.] Chapman.
  3. verb To make better; to increase the value or good qualities of; to ameliorate by care or cultivation; as, to improve land. Donne.
  4. verb To use or employ to good purpose; to make productive; to turn to profitable account; to utilize; as, to improve one's time; to improve his means. Shak.

Etymology [Pref. im- not + prove: cf. L. improbare, F. improuver.]

Etymology [Pref. in- in + prove, in approve. See Approve, Prove.]

Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “improve”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details