Pronunciation Tip: Words Ending in -age

In English, there are many words that end in -age, like engage, advantage, garage, mirage, encourage, usage, baggage, heritage, etc. However, -age is not pronounced the same in all cases, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this! In fact, I have found that many learners tend to mispronounce it. So let’s see. In general terms, there are three ways to pronounce it:

1. Backstage /eɪdʒ/: this is the case of some words ending in age when the last syllable is stressed* (in Spanish, acentuada). This is what happens with «engage» or «enrage«. Click on the words to check their pronunciation.

backstage
Backstage [Source]

2. Sabotage /ɑːʒ/: this usually happens when the word is of French origin and the pronunciation was kept more or less the same. This is the case of words like «mirage«, «collage» or «camouflage«Click on the words to check their pronunciation.

collage
Collage [Source]

3. Language /ɪdʒ/: this is the most common pronunciation of this syllable. This usually happens when the stress is not on -age, but on the syllables before it. For example: advantage, encourage, usage, baggage, luggagemanage, coverage, voyage, vintage, etc. Click on the words to check their pronunciation.

luggage
Luggage [Source]

Also, a few words even have two possible pronunciations, like «garage«, which can take both forms 2 and 3.

In conclusion, you should remember that, when -age is not stressed (in Spanish, no acentuada), the third pronunciation /ɪdʒ/ is definitely the most common.

Remember that you can access these pronunciation tips any time through the pronunciation section in the menu.

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