How To Pronounce Mirror

mirror

Phonemic

/ˈmɪr.ə/

Phonetic

[ˈmɪr.əʴ]

Phonemic

/ˈmɪr.ɚ/

In British English, mirror is pronounced /ˈmɪr.ə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈmɪr.əʴ]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈmɪr.ɚ/.

Mirror 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

mɪrə

Mirror 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.

mirror + -s

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

/ˈmɪr.əz/

/ˈmɪr.ɚz/

mirror + -ed

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

/ˈmɪr.əd/

/ˈmɪr.ɚd/

mirror + -ing

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

/ˈmɪr.ər.ɪŋ/

/ˈmɪr.ɚ.ɪŋ/

Questions About Mirror

How do you pronounce mirror in British English?

In British English, mirror is pronounced /ˈmɪr.ə/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈmɪr.əʴ].

How do you pronounce mirror in American English?

In American English, mirror is pronounced /ˈmɪr.ɚ/.

How many syllables are in mirror?

Mirror has two syllables, /mɪr/ + /ə/.

Where is the stress in mirror?

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

Do British and American English pronounce mirror the same way?

No. British English has /ˈmɪr.ə/ and American English has /ˈmɪr.ɚ/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

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