How To Pronounce Labour

labour

Phonemic

/ˈleɪ.bə/

Phonetic

[ˈleɪ.bəʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈleɪ.bɚ/

In British English, labour is pronounced /ˈleɪ.bə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈleɪ.bəʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈleɪ.bɚ/.

Labour 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

leɪbə

Labour 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.

labour + -s

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

/ˈleɪ.bəz/

/ˈleɪ.bɚz/

labour + -ed

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

/ˈleɪ.bəd/

/ˈleɪ.bɚd/

labour + -ing

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

/ˈleɪ.bə.rɪŋ/

/ˈleɪ.bɚ.ɪŋ/

Words That Rhyme With Labour

Questions About Labour

How do you pronounce labour in British English?

In British English, labour is pronounced /ˈleɪ.bə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈleɪ.bəʴ].

How do you pronounce labour in American English?

In American English, labour is pronounced /ˈleɪ.bɚ/.

How many syllables are in labour?

Labour has two syllables, /leɪ/ + /bə/.

Where is the stress in labour?

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

Do British and American English pronounce labour the same way?

No. British English has /ˈleɪ.bə/ and American English has /ˈleɪ.bɚ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

Nearby Words

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