How To Pronounce “our”

our

function word

Strong form

Used when emphasised or contrasted.

Phonemic

/aʊə/or/ˈaʊ.ə/

Phonetic

[aʊəʴ]

e.g. I said our, not their.

/aɪ.sedˈaʊə.nɒt.ðeə/

Phonemic

/aʊr/

e.g. I said our, not their.

/aɪ.sedˈaʊr.nɑːt.ðer/

Weak form

Used in connected speech (UK English adds a linking /r/ before a vowel).

Phonemic

/ɑː/

Phonetic

[ɑːʴ]

e.g. We love our house.

/wi.lʌv.ɑːˈhaʊs/

Phonemic

/ɑːr/

e.g. We love our house.

/wi.lʌv.ɑːrˈhaʊs/

“our” is a function word, so it has more than one pronunciation. In normal connected speech the weak form is usual. The strong form is used when the word is stressed, said on its own or at the end of a phrase.

Strong form. In British English it is /aʊə/ or /ˈaʊ.ə/, and in American English it is /aʊr/. It is used when emphasised or contrasted.

Weak form. In British English it is /ɑː/, and in American English it is /ɑːr/. It is used in connected speech (UK English adds a linking /r/ before a vowel).

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.

Questions About Our

How do you pronounce our in British English?

Strong form, /aʊə/ or /ˈaʊ.ə/. Weak form, /ɑː/.

How do you pronounce our in American English?

Strong form, /aʊr/. Weak form, /ɑːr/.

What is the weak form of our?

The weak form of our is /ɑː/ in British English. It is the usual form in connected speech.

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