Proper Pronunciation Guide

rutabaga

[ru ə ˏbe͜i gə]

Tips:

Give the primary stress to the first syllable.
Pronounce the letter “t” as a lightly tapped
/d/ in quick speech.
Pronounce the second letter “a”—in the third syllable—like the name of the letter itself—
/e͜i/—and give it a secondary stress.
Pronounce the first and the third letters “a” both as the weak schwa vowel
/ə/

Practice Sentence:

We're serving rutabaga with Thanksgiving dinner.

Definition:

(noun) A large, round turnip with a hard, waxy exterior and a yellow-orange, slightly bitter, fleshy interior, which can be diced and boiled or pureed before being eaten as a winter vegetable.

Notes:

You may want to read aloud the poet Carl Sandburg’s “Rutabaga Stories.”