The word "strengthen" is spelled with eight letters and consists of two syllables. The first syllable, "strength," is pronounced with an /s/ sound and ends with a /θ/ sound, represented in IPA as /streŋθ/. The second syllable, "en," is pronounced with an /ɛn/ sound, represented in IPA as /ɛn/. Therefore, the phonetic transcription of "strengthen" is /ˈstreŋθən/. The spelling of this word may pose a challenge for English language learners due to its irregular pronunciation.
Strengthen is a verb that refers to the act of making something or someone stronger or more powerful. It involves enhancing the capacity, intensity, or effectiveness of something. This word can be used both in a physical and metaphorical sense.
In the physical sense, strengthen relates to adding physical or structural support to an object or material, thereby making it more robust, durable, or resistant. For instance, a construction worker might strengthen a building's foundation to ensure its stability during earthquakes or reinforce a bridge to support heavier loads.
Metaphorically, strengthen implies the process of making someone or something more resilient, determined, or capable of withstanding adversity. It can refer to improving mental or emotional fortitude, enhancing skills or abilities, or fostering positive qualities. For example, one might seek to strengthen a relationship by increasing trust, open communication, and understanding.
The word "strengthen" often implies deliberate effort or intentional action to enhance or improve upon a specific aspect. This could involve engaging in physical exercises to strengthen muscles, engaging in educational activities to strengthen knowledge or skills, or adopting strategies to bolster confidence and self-belief.
Ultimately, to strengthen means to reinforce, fortify, or empower, with the aim of making someone or something more formidable, secure, or effective.
To add strength to; to grow stronger; to fix in resolution; to invigorate; to confirm.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "strengthen" originated from the Old English verb "strengþian" which means "to make strong, fortify". It is derived from the Proto-Germanic base word "strangijaną", which is related to the Old Norse word "stryngja" and the German word "stärken". All these words ultimately stem from the Proto-Indo-European root word "*streng-" which means "taut, tighten".