How To Pronounce Orphan

orphan

Phonemic

/ˈɔː.fən/

Phonetic

[ˈɔːʴ.fn̩]

Phonemic

/ˈɔːr.fən/

In British English, orphan is pronounced /ˈɔː.fən/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈɔːʴ.fn̩]. In American English, it is pronounced /ˈɔːr.fən/.

Orphan 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

ɔːfən

Orphan 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.

orphan + -s

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

/ˈɔː.fənz/

/ˈɔːr.fənz/

orphan + -ed

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

/ˈɔː.fənd/

/ˈɔːr.fənd/

orphan + -ing

-ing is always /ɪŋ/.

/ˈɔː.fən.ɪŋ/

/ˈɔːr.fən.ɪŋ/

Questions About Orphan

How do you pronounce orphan in British English?

In British English, orphan is pronounced /ˈɔː.fən/. The narrow phonetic transcription is [ˈɔːʴ.fn̩].

How do you pronounce orphan in American English?

In American English, orphan is pronounced /ˈɔːr.fən/.

How many syllables are in orphan?

Orphan has two syllables, /ɔː/ + /fən/.

Where is the stress in orphan?

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

Do British and American English pronounce orphan the same way?

No. British English has /ˈɔː.fən/ and American English has /ˈɔːr.fən/.

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Other Words With The Stress Pattern Oo

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