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

referendum

/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ noun

Forms referenda referendums

  1. noun (politics) A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment. “a referendum on …”
  2. noun An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter. “My father is taking my decision on whether to go to university as a referendum on his performance as a parent, and it's very stressful.”

Synonyms

plebiscite

Etymology

From Latin referendum (“that which ought to be announced”), from refero (“to announce”).

Webster’s 1913

  1. noun A diplomatic agent's note asking for instructions from his government concerning a particular matter or point.
  2. noun The right to approve or reject by popular vote a meassure passed upon by a legislature.

Etymology [Gerundive fr. L. referre. See Refer.]

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