Heteronym
"Separate" has two different pronunciations with two different meanings. Say SEP-rit when it means apart, not joined (adjective), and SEP-uh-rayt when it means to divide or split up (verb). Which one is correct depends entirely on the sentence.
adjective
SEP-rit
apart, not joined
“Keep the two piles separate.”
verb
SEP-uh-rayt
to divide or split up
“Please separate the colors.”
Each button speaks the respelling, not the spelling — otherwise the speech engine would pick a single default pronunciation for both senses.
| Pronunciation | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| SEP-rit | adjective | apart, not joined |
| SEP-uh-rayt | verb | to divide or split up |
"Separate" has two different pronunciations with two different meanings. Say SEP-rit when it means apart, not joined (adjective), and SEP-uh-rayt when it means to divide or split up (verb). Which one is correct depends entirely on the sentence.
Pronounced SEP-rit, "separate" is a adjective meaning apart, not joined. For example: "Keep the two piles separate."
Pronounced SEP-uh-rayt, "separate" is a verb meaning to divide or split up. For example: "Please separate the colors."
"Separate" is a heteronym: two distinct words that happen to be spelled the same way. English spelling did not standardise around pronunciation, so unrelated words sometimes converged on one spelling while keeping separate sounds.
See the full entry for “separate”, browse all 76 heteronyms and stress pairs, or learn how English stress works.