how to pronounce contour

/ˈkɑːnˌtʊɹ/

audio example by a male speaker

audio example by a female speaker

the above transcription of contour is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

contour is pronounced in two syllables

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1.

ɑː

2. example pitch curve for pronunciation of contour

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video examples of contour pronunciation

An example use of contour in a speech by a native speaker of american english:

“… described as a child's contour map of …”

meanings of contour

noun:

An outline, boundary or border, usually of curved shape.
A speech sound which behaves as a single segment, but which makes an internal transition from one quality, place, or manner to another.
A line on a map or chart delineating those points which have the same altitude or other plotted quantity: a contour line or isopleth.

verb:

To form a more or less curved boundary or border upon.
To mark with contour lines.
To practise the makeup technique of contouring.

contour frequency in english - C2+ level of CEFR

the word contour occurs in english on average 1.4 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for C2+ level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.

topics contour can be related to

it is hard to perfectly classify words into specific topics since each word can have many context of its use, but our machine-learning models believe that contour can be often used in the following areas:

1) communication, information, and media;

2) education, science, and technology;