How To Pronounce Father

father

Phonemic

/ˈfɑː.ðə/

Phonetic

[ˈfɑː.ðəʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈfɑː.ðɚ/

In British English, father is pronounced /ˈfɑː.ðə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈfɑː.ðəʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈfɑː.ðɚ/.

Father has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first syllable. The British and American pronunciations are different, so listen to both.

Slashes / / show the phonemic transcription, the sounds that change meaning. Square brackets [ ] show the phonetic transcription, with the finer detail of how the sounds are actually made.

Syllables, Stress And Endings

Syllables And Stress

fɑːðə

Father has two syllables in British English, and the main stress is on the first syllable, shown in colour above. Its stress pattern is Oo, where O is the stressed syllable.

father + -s

-s (plural, possessive or singular verb) is /z/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈfɑː.ðəz/

/ˈfɑː.ðɚz/

father + -ed

-ed (past tense or past participle) is /d/ after a voiced consonant or a vowel sound.

/ˈfɑː.ðəd/

/ˈfɑː.ðɚd/

father + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/. In UK English a linking /r/ is added because the spelling ends in -r.

/ˈfɑː.ðə.rɪŋ/

/ˈfɑː.ðɚ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Father

Questions About Father

How do you pronounce father in British English?

In British English, father is pronounced /ˈfɑː.ðə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈfɑː.ðəʴ].

How do you pronounce father in American English?

In American English, father is pronounced /ˈfɑː.ðɚ/.

How many syllables are in father?

Father has two syllables, /fɑː/ + /ðə/.

Where is the stress in father?

The main stress is on the first syllable, /fɑː/.

Do British and American English pronounce father the same way?

No. British English has /ˈfɑː.ðə/ and American English has /ˈfɑː.ðɚ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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